Something from Nothing
by zoyalviii
Summary: After a long mission, Rien Lobelia returns to Fairy Tail, excited to show them her latest discovery. Except, no one actually knows her besides Mira and the Master. Now, she has a decision to make; stay and try to find the surrogate family Fairy Tail claims to be, or finally give up her guild mark in search of a guild where she actually matters? (Natsu x OC) (Lucy x Laxus)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 ~ 1 Way to Return to Fairy Tail**

Rien Lobelia stretched her arms above her head as she walked back to the Fairy Tail. Unlike most of the women in the guild, Rien was neither busty nor 'a sexy shade of beautiful' as Sorcerer Weekly had once called them. Rien only stood at about 5'2, and her cup size was maybe pushing a C. The girl had burgundy eyes and freckles on her cheeks that still seemed to carry some baby fat despite the fact she was seventeen years old, as well as brown hair styled into a wavy bob with a variety of shades highlighted through it. The girl wore a round-neck dark red top under a red corset, which used a darker color to create a flower-esque pattern in the silk. In addition, it had a false zipper above her left breast, revealing a ribbed design. The corset was tucked into a pair of wine red, smock-belted high waist shorts. Her legs were covered with tights that were partially see through at the thighs to expose a cross design, and she wore burgundy timberland boots on her feet. Her only accessory was the pair of brass steampunk goggles on her head.

The girl's eyebrows furrowed as she finally reached the guild hall. It was… much larger than she remembered it being, although she shouldn't be so surprised considering it _was_ Fairy Tail. Rien stopped just outside the door, taking a few deep breaths. She had hoped after being away for fifteen months her anxiety would settle but apparently not. It felt as though her heart was doing its best to beat straight out of her chest and blood rushed to her face. For weeks, she had dreamed of bursting into the guild like so many before her and announcing loudly that she had discovered something unbelievable, and that anyone interested should follow. Then the whole guild would rush after her to a sight they could only dream about and praise her for her work. No way was that going to happen now.

Instead of the grand entrance she had fantasized, Rien slipped through the doors quietly and slunk off to the side. Fairy Tail was locked into another one of their daily brawls, meaning not a single member had acknowledged her arrival. She noticed a gift shop off to the side or, more specifically, that there was absolutely nothing of her in it. There were, however, a few mages she didn't recognize, and she wondered if any of them had heard of her before. Probably not.

Finally, she spotted Mirajane at the bar and made a beeline towards her. Before anything else, she had to tell the older girl she was back and that her mission had been successful. Without doing so, she would never be able to take another job.

Not to mention, Mirajane really was her only friend in the entire guild.

As she approached, she noticed that the white-haired women was happily talking to a blonde girl sitting at one of the barstool. She was very pretty with her silky hair, warm brown eyes, curvy figure, and a generous bust. Rien almost lost her nerves as she walked towards them. Just when they finally whittled away and she resolved to turn around and come back at a less busy time, Mirajane spotted her. Her eyes widened comically, and her lips twisted up into a sweet smile.

"Rien, you're back! How was your mission?"

The brunette opened her mouth to speak, but upon gaining the attention of the newer member found her mouth had snapped shut without her consent.

The blonde turned towards her, tilting her head curiously as she studied her figure.

"I don't think we've met before. My name is Lucy." She greeted, holding out her hand. Rien gulped, flushing as she gently gripped her hand in return.

"I-I'm R-Rien. Rien Lobelia. Ummmm, N-nice to meet you?"

Mirajane giggled, patting the smaller girl's head. "You see Lucy, Rien struggles with talking to girls that she thinks are prettier than herself. It's really cute, don't you think?"

"Yeah!" Lucy grinned, glowing from the idea that Rien thought she was pretty. The poor girl shifted awkwardly.

"Don't worry Rien, Lucy is really nice." Mirajane supported. "So why don't you tell us both about your last quest?"

Rien nodded hesitantly and decided to start from the beginning. The girl tripped over her words as she described to Lucy the job request that had taken her fifteen months to complete; creating an updated map of the Tillman forest located between two mountains in western Fiore. The more she spoke the more comfortable she grew, and before she really knew what was happening she had taken out her own copy of the map she had poured her heart and soul into to show to the women as she explained. The area she covered was about thirty-four miles or so, not much for a mage passing through but a lot for a single mage to make an extremely detailed map of all on their own, including rivers, hills, dense sections of forest, and the different kinds of plant and animal life as well as where to find them. Due to the unknown, it had been important to the people hiring that a wide range of magic wasn't used to analyze the area- you never knew what it might stimulate. When she finally finished, she rolled up the map and nervously waited for one of the girls to say something.

"Wow. That's incredible! I can't believe you did that all on your own. You really are a Fairy Tail mage, huh?" Lucy asked in awe.

Rien blushed. She couldn't remember a single time she had been given such high regard before.

"I-it was nothing really. I happened to have a good magic for the job."

As Mirajane watched the two talk, she silently moved away with a smile on her face. If any woman in the guild could get Rien to be less shy around them, she had full confidence that Lucy was it.

"Eh?! What kind of magic do you use?"

"I-it's called Probability Magic." Rien began, relaxing a bit. She was horrible at talking to others, especially females, but her magic was one subject she was always happy to discuss. "It allows me to determine the probability of certain outcomes, and then format the variables in order to ensure the desired outcome I choose. In addition, I can see a variety of different outcomes and in a situation where there are many, and extinguish the possibility of certain outcomes through variable manipulation. So, for example, if I was on a rocky mountain path, I could use my magic to help determine my chance of survival and ways to improve it. I would analyze all my steps before taking them and determine which rocks would be secure in holding my body weight before moving, significantly increasing my chance of making it across. This whole process can take anywhere from five seconds to several minutes depending on the number of different outcomes. Oh, and I can give good luck or bad luck depending on the situation."

Lucy's jaw dropped, silent as she comprehended everything she had just been told. Finally, after several minutes, she found her voice.

"So, you can essentially see the future?"

"Erm, not quite…" Rien mumbled, shuffling her feet. "I can increase or decrease the chance of a possible future, but there's no way for me to tell if I'll actually be successful or not."

"That's...that's so…." Lucy stuttered for a moment, then her eyes grew wide and glittery and she grabbed Rien's hands with her own. "If I was walking home, and I was balancing on the edge of the river, could you make it so that I wouldn't fall in?"

Rien's eyebrows furrowed. Lucy watched, entranced as her burgundy eyes glowed red for a moment, and her pupils dilated as she stared at something Lucy couldn't see. When they faded back to their normal color, Rien smiled nervously.

"Currently, you seem to have a 23.81% chance of falling in. However, if you cast a simple balancing spell, such as _statera_ , you could decrease the probability to around 3.94%. The spell doesn't account for a sudden force being exerted on you, but it will help you stabilize your center of gravity and return you to equilibrium if you find yourself slipping. I used it all the time while I was out in the wilderness. I ah, I could teach you if you'd like?"

The blonde squealed, clapping her hands in excitement. "Do you know how much laundry money that would save me? Rien, you're incredible! How come the others haven't told me about you before?"

Rien swallowed, lowering her gaze to the ground, while Mira looked at her with a sympathetic look on her face. Lucy frowned. "Am I missing something?"

"The other guild members haven't tried to get to know Rien, Lu-chan." The bartender explained. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed.

"Maybe you just haven't been here long enough! I know it took me a while to get to know everyone, but I've never met a more accepting group."

"Lucy-" Mira warned. Rien cut her off with a watery smile.

"I-I've been a part of the guild for 4 years now. Mira's the only one that really talks to me."

Lucy gasped. That didn't sound like her Fairy Tail at all.

"That can't be…" She murmured.

"Hey, Lu-chan, what are you doing over there? Natsu's challenging Gajeel to an eating challenge. Fire vs. Iron. It should be interesting, don't you think? Oh, Mira! You should come too." Levy invited warmly. Lucy was shocked. Levy was one of the nicest people she knew, so why hadn't she invited Rien?

"LUCY, C'MON, AND BRING MIRA WITH YOU. I WANT THE WHOLE GUILD TO WATCH ME WIPE THE FLOOR WITH IRON-ASS OVER HERE!" Natsu bellowed. There was a distinct growl as Gajeel fired something back, but Lucy wasn't listening.

"The whole guild?" She repeated, knowing Natsu would hear her with his dragon-slayer hearing. "If Mira and I go over there, that makes the entire guild?"

"Well, yeah! It's the first time no one's on a mission, so we just need the two of you and then we can get this challenge started!" Natsu answered cheerfully.

"Not that there'll be much of a challenge." Gray scoffed.

"Oh yeah, you wanna be next?"

"Bring it on, fire princess!"

"Hurry up bunny-girl, I got a match to win!" Gajeel guffawed. Lucy's hands clenched into fists and began to tremble, a motion that steadily grew stronger as the guild continually called for _two_ girls and not three. She turned in her seat, looking at Rien who appeared to be holding back tears as she stared at the floor. Never had she seen someone look so small or so alone. Not in Fairy Tail.

"ENOUGH!" Lucy screamed, standing on her chair. She pointed at the crowd accusingly, hand still trembling as she did so. "WHAT ABOUT RIEN, HUH? HOW COME NO ONE ASKED ABOUT RIEN?!"

…

…

…

"Who?" Natsu asked, in absolute confusion. Lucy couldn't believe what she was seeing. The entire guild. THE ENTIRE GUILD. Every single one of them looked genuinely confused, as though they truly didn't know another member existed. They began to question one another, wondering if 'this Rien chick' was a new member. As the confusion continued, Lucy felt angry tears well in her eyes. This whole time, Rien was out in the wilderness, creating _the most_ detailed map Lucy had ever seen, pouring her magic, pride, and love into it, spending countless hours alone in the woods, all in the name of Fairy Tail, and the guild didn't even know who. she. was.

Lucy had always idolized the guild. She loved them like no other. They were her family, her Nakama.

But not right now.

Right now, Lucy didn't know who she was looking at. All the stuff they had spouted about family, about how they would never leave anyone behind. And here was Rien, a hard-working member of 4 years, and no one even knew her name.

Lucy jumped off the stool and grabbed Rien's hand, pulling her up as well.

"L-Lucy?!" Rien stuttered in shock. Lucy roughly wiped away her tears and held out her hand.

"Mira, give us a mission."

"Lucy, what about your team?" Mira wondered, holding back a smile. It was about time someone stood up for Rien. She just wished she could have been a part of it as well. What Lucy was doing now, she should have done a long time ago.

"Until they remember what the meaning of Nakama is, until they bother to learn Rien's name, they're no team of mine." Then she turned to the other girl, shooting her a dazzling smile. " It's just us for now. Okay, Rien?" The brunette blushed, red overtaking her face as she nodded. Mira grabbed a paper off the wall next to them and showed it to the girls.

"This one seems fine. It's a mission a few towns south from here, in Hygem. Someone's been breaking into the regional archives at the same time every night, bypassing security. They've even had guards standing in the room, but no one sees a thing and nothing gets taken. The only reason they know someone was there is because the papers have been removed and scattered like someone was rifling through them, looking for information."

"We'll take it." Lucy decided, snatching the paper. She shot Mira a beaming smile. "We'll be back soon Mira. I expect a warm welcome!" She glanced over to Rien quickly before returning her gaze to Mira, who nodded subtly. She planned to talk to the master about finally addressing the Rien issue as soon as the girls were gone.

"I just have to stop by my house and grab my passport and some Jewel before we leave. Is that alright?" Lucy asked, tugging Rien out of the guild. She ignored the cries from Team Natsu, asking her where she was going and with who, and why she was taking a mission without them. She wasn't a little girl; she could do as she pleased.

Rien and Lucy made quick time through the streets of Magnolia. Rien, being too shy to ask Lucy about why she was standing up for her as she had, instead taught Lucy the balancing spell. The blonde managed it easily, strutting with confidence on the ledge next to the river. As they walked, Rien bit her lip in thought. Before, she had been so ready to expose her discovery to the guild, but now she wasn't so sure. Still, maybe she could show Lucy? Lucy seemed very trustworthy, not to mention the guild clearly cared for her a lot based on their eagerness to get her to watch the match and the nicknames she'd been given. She supposed if Mira trusted the girl, then she could too.

"Umm, Lucy? You shouldn't need your passport, but if you want to grab some money I won't stop you."

Lucy paused. "What do you mean? We aren't taking the train?" She asked in confusion.

The blonde saw a small smile curl across Rien's lips. "No, I have a better way. Faster too. You'll see."

* * *

Between Lucy pestering Rien on how they were going to get to Hygem and the excitement of realizing that Rien occupied the apartment below hers, the two girls had plenty to talk about. Rien found herself laughing at Lucy's expressions along with her methods of trying to get Rien to talk. Between that, she told Rien about how she was a celestial spirit mage, explaining her different keys and what each one did. The brunette was fascinated by the information. She'd heard of celestial spirit mages before but had never had the honor of meeting one. The conversation was relaxed and flowed easily, strengthening Rien's confidence in her decision to show Lucy her discovery. She also wondered if the two were becoming friends, which excited her immensely. Mira was her friend, and she had a few back homes, but it would be nice to actually make friends with the people in her guild.

"Okay." Rien decided, once they were in a field quite a bit away from Magnolia. "This is as good a place as any."

"Oh! Are we teleporting?" Lucy asked, eyes sparkling. Rien giggled.

"No! Why would we come all the way out here to teleport?"

"I don't know, maybe you wanted to keep it hidden!" Lucy argued, smile still on her face. "C'mon then, tell me!"

A full grin broke out on Rien's face. Fingers shaking with anticipation, she raised the brass whistle that hung around her neck up to her lips, inhaled deeply, and blew into it with as much force as she could muster. Lucy blinked, rubbing at her ears. For some strange reason, she couldn't hear anything. Finally, after ten seconds, Rien stopped. She huffed, still smiling as she got her breath back.

"Umm, Rien? I think the whistle is broken. I didn't hear- OH MY GOD!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a large shadow covered their bodies. Lucy looked up, taking in the sight before her. The creature was probably about 20 feet long, with scaly green skin, large wings that spanned almost the same length as its body, huge claws on each of its two feet, and a long tail with spikes protruding from the end.

"DR-DR-DRAGON!" Lucy screeched, pointing at the creature. "TH-THAT'S A DRAGON!"

The creature landed in front of Rien, licking her face and nuzzling against her affectionately. Peals of laughter were coming from the brunette as she scratched its face, causing its tail to thump against the ground in excitement. It flopped over onto its side, exposing its belly for Rien to scratch there too. Lucy stared on in shock, barely registering the saddle that was attached to the creatures back or the bags resting on its side.

"Lucy, this is Wynn. He's a Wyvern. They're kind of like dragons in their overall biology and ability to use magic, but they're a lot smaller and not nearly as strong. You'll also notice that unlike dragons, he only has two hind legs as opposed to four total. His wings are attached to his arms if you could even call them that. Wynn's magic gives him control over wood and plant life, isn't that right sweetie?" Rien cooed. Wynn's tail thumped again against the ground, causing it to shake. Lucy stumbled forward, though she didn't fall due to the balancing spell, it was enough to knock her out of her shocked state.

"And you found him how?" The blonde asked weakly. What else could she say? She had never seen a wyvern. She assumed they must have been nearly extinct.

"Wynn lived in the forest I was mapping. You see, wyverns are extremely rare. In fact, it's predicted there are only four packs left, hidden in different parts of the world. Wynn was sick, which is presumably why he was abandoned by his pack. I took care of him until he was back in good health, and I guess he imprinted on me because he's been with me since." Rien finally stopped petting the creature, allowing him to return into a standing position. The brunette smiled warmly, taking an apple out of her bag which she passed to Lucy.

"Here, you can feed this to him. I promise he won't bite. Wynn loves fruits and vegetables."

Lucy's hand trembled as she took the apple, staring up in awe. Wynn was looking back at her, curious and slightly guarded. The blonde smiled. Rien really was incredible; hopefully, Fairy Tail would soon see that too. She could only imagine the look on Natsu's face when he saw Wynn for the first time. Feeling more relaxed, Lucy held up the apple. Wynn sniffed for a moment before gently taking it between his jaw. Then he stepped back and snapped his head up, tossing the apple into the air. Rien laughed.

"He's showing off for you." She explained, scratching his side as he happily munched on the apple. Lucy giggled.

"Aww, what a good boy." She cooed, holding out her palm. Wynn whined happily and rubbed his cheek against her hand, causing Lucy to laugh with delight as she scratched his face. The wyvern moved closer, nudging his forehead against hers.

"Oh wow," Rien said with aww, barely containing her grin. "He really likes you, Lucy. In fact, I think he's just accepted you into our pack."

"Pack?" The blonde echoed in confusion. Wynn seemed to purr as he lifted his head, letting Lucy scratch under his chin.

"Yes. Like I said before, wyverns travel in packs and there's an estimated four left in the world. It's in their nature to form groups because it makes travel safer since they can look out for one another. Wynn and I travel together now, and we look after each other. As far as Wynn is concerned, that makes us a pack. Now you're apart of it too. Congrats, you just got yourself a guardian wyvern." She rattled. Lucy beamed at her, causing Rien's heart to warm.

Yes. Lucy was definitely a new friend.

* * *

"Oi, Mira, where'd Lucy go? If you tell us now, we'll still have time to catch up with her." Natsu asked casually, trying to hide his confusion. It'd been a long time since Lucy had gone on a mission without him. Sometimes they'd go without Gray or Erza, but she'd never left without _him._

The dragon slayer was surprised at the hardened look that had come over Mira's face. "I'm sorry Natsu, but Lucy and Rien are going on a mission together, just the two of them."

"Who is this 'Rain' girl you guys keep mentioning?!" He growled in frustration, throwing up his hands. Natsu had been a member of Fairy Tail for years, and he'd never seen a 'Ren' around the guild, or whatever her name was. He was confident in the fact that if she was a member, he'd know about it.

"Excuse me," Mira said stoically, moving from behind the bar. She walked by Natsu without a passing glance, Natsu following after her. He knew better than to grab her because she'd probably use her demon strength to throw him into a wall, and he'd rarely ever seen her so serious. Instead, he decided to trail after her.

"Mira, C'mon, answer me dammit! Who are you talking about, and where is Lucy?!"

The white-haired barmaid marched straight into the master's office and slammed the door in his face.

 **End of Chapter**

 _ **A/N: That's the end of chapter one! I know the timeline doesn't match up, so I suppose you can consider this an AU? I'm just trying to have fun with the story and the characters without worrying about what happened in the episodes, you know? Anyway, more to come with Rien's magic later. It's pretty confusing, I'll admit, but I think it's fun. Also, Rien's name is pronounced (Ree-en) Enough of this though, See you next time!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 ~ 2 Ways to Make a New Friend**

"Okay Lucy, hold on tight!" Rien warned cheerfully. She was sitting in the front of the saddle, hands wrapped around a small handle in the front securely and thighs pressed tightly against Wynn's belly. Lucy sat behind her, arms wrapped around her waist and trying to copy her position as best as possible.

"I'm ready!" The blonde affirmed.

Wynn stood up then, causing Lucy to shriek with surprise. She knew Wynn obviously had to stand before he could take off; she just wasn't ready for the feeling of his muscles underneath them or the awkward tilt that came with it because unlike a machine, Wynn had to stand one leg at a time. He let out a roar, causing several birds in nearby trees to scatter. Then, with a powerful pump of his wings, they were in the air.

"WHOOOOAAAA~" Lucy cried out, her grip on Rien tightening. Rien didn't seem to mind (probably because she couldn't feel it that much through the corset), letting out a laugh.

"Don't worry Lucy! We just have to get over the cloud barrier!"

Lucy screamed in reply, burying her face into Rien's back. A few moments later, everything seemed to straighten out again. The ride had become smooth, almost like a small boat gently floating in the harbor. Lucy moved back, taking in the sights. All around them was an endless blue sky, with clouds passing leisurely beneath them. It was breathtaking.

"If you think this is nice, remind me to take you for a flight at night." Rien started. "With the cloud covers beneath us, it feels like flying in an endless sea of stars. You can make out the constellations really well too. Personally, I've always loved Leo and Sagittarius the most."

"I'll have to introduce you sometime."

"Huh?" Rien gasped, cocking her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"They're two of my celestial spirits!" Lucy exclaimed. "Definitely sometime during this trip, I'll introduce you."

"Whaaattt?! That'd be amazing!"

"Well, I have to pay you back somehow, I'm practically riding a dragon right now! Actually, this is probably better since dragons are so huge and scary, you know? I don't think I could sit on one all that well."

Wynn huffed in pride, letting out a snort of approval that caused both girls to giggle.

"By the way, how does Wynn know where we're going?"

"I know we're going in the right general direction." Rien smiled to herself. "But I'm actually going to use my magic to determine the quickest route to our destination while also calculating the safest place for us to land without being seen that gives us the shortest distance to walk."

"You can do that?" The celestial mage asked in awe.

"Yup! Can you read me the address again?"

"72 Broodley rd, Hygem, Fiore."

Rien nodded. Then, her form became stiff, and Lucy realized her eyes were probably doing that glowy-thing too. What she didn't expect was for Rien's hands to suddenly glow as well, creating a trail from where she touched Wynn's neck all the way up to the top of his head. Lucy leaned out slightly, noting that Wynn's eyes were glowing too.

"All set." Rien informed, putting her hands back on the saddle. "We'll be arriving just outside Hygem in one hour and sixteen minutes. From there, we'll walk for about twenty minutes to the archive building."

"That must be incredible, being able to see ahead like that." Lucy murmured. She felt Rien nod ahead of her.

"I know my magic isn't good for fighting. I might be okay in hand to hand combat, but there's not much I can do in a magic fight. I can't blow a hole through a mountain or take on hundreds of enemies at once. But I can see the world around me. I feel the flow of time; I can sense moments that are life changing and figure out the best solution to simple questions that would usually torture people for days. In an evacuation, I can tell you the safest place to be to avoid injury. If there was a storm, I could tell you which houses are most likely to be destroyed and which ones are okay to take shelter in. Sometimes, I can figure out what moves people are going make or what they're going to say before they even do it. So I'm not the first person you'd pick for an all-out battle, but that doesn't bother me. There are moments where I feel so connected to everything that I feel beyond the fight. Compared to what could be, what will be, those things feel so insignificant. I wouldn't trade my magic for the world."

"That sounds… beautiful." Lucy admitted, her demeanor softening. "I think I know what you mean. I do my best to fight side by side with my spirits, but it's difficult. I simply don't have the same power as they do, and they can't fight their best if they have to worry about me too. I'm not sure what to do about it yet. Even so, I wouldn't trade my magic for the world! I've been blessed with so many friends..." The blonde trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward. Her magic gave her a variety of amazing friends, but Rein…

"And I found Wynn." She whispered gently, scratching his head. Feeling the mood becoming heavy, Rien decided to change the topic. "I could help you train if you'd like?"

Lucy's eyes widened. "Really? How?!"

"It depends what you'd like to do. If you'd like to improve your strategies for battle, I could help you come up with combinations. But, if it's about personal strength, I can help you determine the best next step. We could either try to find the best form of hand to hand combat for you, find the best weapon, or even which second magic you'd have the least trouble learning."

"Second magic?"

"That's right. Many mages adopt two forms of magic, whether it's to balance their magical container or make up for a skill they lack. Much of your magical is used to summon keys, which is generally done at the same interval. It would be far more efficient for you to learn a magic that can be released naturally in order to expand your magical containers."

"Really? I've never thought about that before. What magic do you think would be best?"

"That's a bit tricky. When it comes to organic landscapes, my interconnectivity with our planet formed by my magic gives me a sense of probability without prior knowledge. However, when it comes to abiotic factors or even magic, I need to gather data first, whether that's observing an opponent's magic or reading about it in a book. There may be a better magic suited for you that I have not yet encountered, but I can give you my best estimate with the knowledge I already have."

Lucy hummed. "Out of curiosity, what is it currently?"

She felt Rien's body stiffen, and this time she remained as such for almost a full minute before relaxing again. Lucy realized she must have been sorting through more variables than something as trivial as the likelihood of her falling over.

"Alright. I've outlined your optimal second magic based on what I've read about Celestial Spirit Mages, compatibility with your magic containers, the magic I've sensed from your keys, and the magic of those in our guilds. I've concluded that the best magic for you would be Spectrum Magic."

"You mean, like, a rainbow?"

"Sort of. Spectrum magic is like a cognate of light magic. It involves deploying different magical frequencies into light magic or existing sources of light that project the properties of more physical elements. For example, deploying the frequency of magic that creates purple light will give the light property of sound magic, whereas red is fire magic and blue is water magic. The concept is similar to Rainbow Fire, but uses light magic as opposed to fire magic. It would give you a wide array of strategies that won't use up much magic, allowing you to still open your gates and adds diversity with how you interact with your spirits."

"So what you're saying is, I could release different magic frequencies into existing light or light magic to give it the properties of other magics, and since I have the option of distorting the existing light with magic instead of creating it, I'll save energy to use on my gates?" Lucy summarized.

Rien grinned. She knew she sometimes used higher levels of vocabulary that not all people could follow easily, but when her magic involved the use of factors and precision, she found it natural to use more specific wording. It was refreshing for Lucy to be able to follow so easily. "That's exactly right."

"And both Loki and the Master use light magic, so they could probably help me!" Lucy exclaimed giddily. Suddenly, the possibility of getting stronger became much more tangible. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I may have given heightened priority to available support in learning the magic to increase your speed and efficiency during development." The brunette admitted shyly. Was she being too invasive?

"Where have you been all my life?!" Lucy joked, her voice airy and teasing. Then, she continued- "we've got some time to kill, tell me more about the properties of each color?"

* * *

Makarov folded his hands, elbows on his desk, and tried to hide his shame. He knew Mira was right. In a guild where everyone was considered a family, Rien was an outcast. Even the lower tier members had found partnerships and friendships amongst one another, and if he was being honest, she did not belong in that category. Although Rien's magic was not necessarily offensive, what she'd trained herself to do with it was quite remarkable. Several times in a day he'd seen her flip over a chair before it had left the thrower's hand, or direct him to the best spot to make an announcement without becoming collateral damage. Working on her own, it was incredible, but what if she'd worked with others? What if she'd been able to tell Natsu where to direct his punches without burning down a building? What if she'd told Laxus that it was very possible for him to have been beaten by several Fairy Tail members working together? What if she could tell Erza the best armor for an enemy without Erza having to take any hits first?

Rien always told Makarov that her magic was limited, but he knew that in her hands, it was almost limitless.

"She's on a mission now Master," Mira reminded him softly, trying to make him feel better. "We have time to do something before she gets back."

"You sound like you have an idea."

The barmaid smiled, opening her hand to reveal three small white lacrima with a soft pink core. They were commonly used in therapy to help patients show memories of dreams or events. However, the Magic Council refused to use them because powerful mages could alter their memories.

"We're gonna show them everything we know about her, and Lucy will show everyone what happened during this mission. We're going to force everyone to see Rien of Fairy Tail."

* * *

Rien patted Wynn's back as they came to a stop in a small clearing about ¾ of a mile out outside town.

"Thank you, buddy." She smiled, sliding off the saddle. She offered a hand to Lucy and helped guide her down as well.

"Yeah, thanks Wynn. You're such a good boy" Lucy cooed, scratching his nose. The Wyvern let out a purr, his tail thumping his tail against the ground.

"Okay Wynn. Hopefully, we'll meet you back here tomorrow, but I'll blow the whistle when we need you. Feel free to fly around, and don't wander off too far. Also, try not to let anyone see you, alright?"

Wynn snorted, lightly bumping his forehead against Rien's.

"Thank you. So Lucy, are you ready to go?"

"Yup! Are you excited Rien?"

"I'm a little tired, but yes. As much as I loved the forest, it's been a long time since I helped actual people."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to drag you out on another mission right after you got back!" Lucy exclaimed. She stopped walking, a worried look on her face. "If you're too tired we can rest at a hotel and start the job tomorrow."

Rien smiled warmly. "Th-thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be alright. I may be at around eighty-percent efficiency, but that should be more than enough for this job. We just have to trap the intruder tonight and find out how they were getting in so the archive can fix its security. With my magic, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"So if you're the strategist, I guess that makes me the fighter! It's my turn to kick ass!" Lucy said, striking a pose. Rien started giggling, with the blonde following right after.

They made idle chatter as they walked along a forest path not far from where they'd left Wynn. Having heard Rien's explanation about her needing knowledge on people and magic to make her predictions more accurate, she'd decided to tell the girl in detail the abilities and spells her spirits use. Rien listened attentively, seeming to take mental notes which Lucy enjoyed. The members of her team weren't the best when it came to listening to her ideas.

Finally, the two girls arrived at the regional archive building. It was a truly beautiful structure, made out of white stone and marble with several marble columns holding up a part of the roof hanging over the stairs. The roof was mostly flat, and Rien noticed several guards standing on top of it.

"Excuse me, we're the mages sent from Fairy tail for the national archive job?" Lucy introduced, raising her hand to a guard at the door to show him her mark. The brunette turned and lifted her hair, showing the brown mark on the back of her neck.

"Thank you for coming. Right this way." The man answered stoically. He was wearing a black suit and tie with sunglasses to cover his eyes. Lucy and Rien exchanged a look. Everything seemed so… official? Classified? Secretive? Rien shrugged as the two girls followed him inside.

They walked past the receptionist's desk and down a few hallways until the ended up in front of a door with _security room_ written across it on a golden plaque. Their escort opened the door, waving a hand to single them inside. The room was fairly cramped a dark. Two more men were sitting in wheely chairs on either wall and against the wall opposite the door was a woman wearing a blue blazer and pencil skirt. Her red hair was tied back into a bun, and she wore glasses on her face.

"Hello, ladies. Thank you for coming. You may call me Ms. Lucinda. I'm the head of security here in the Hygem regional archives."

"It's a pleasure. My name is Rien Lobelia." The brunette greeted, offering out a hand. Ms. Lucinda gave her a firm shake, then turned to the other.

"Thank you for welcoming us. My name is Lucy Heartfilia." She spoke politely, and Rien guessed it wasn't the first time Lucy had introduced herself that way. Had she been born into high society perhaps?

"I appreciate your coming on such short notice." The older women spoke. "Quite frankly, one of the higher-ups has been looking for any excuse to fire me as he feels a woman is not fit to run this position. I fear if we don't catch the thief soon, it'll be exactly what he needs to get his way. Don't worry about the others here, they wear headphones connected to the cameras to help them catch anything they might miss. They can't hear us. Besides, they want me in this position even more than I do. The alternatives aren't exactly stellar."

"Then we'll be sure to help!" Lucy said passionately. She couldn't stand people who looked down on others based on their gender. "We'll catch the thief, I promise."

"Do you have any footage you'd be able to show us?" Rien asked curiously. Lucinda nodded, beginning to type on the keyboard.

"This is all we have."

 _The camera focused on the center of the room, which had several tables and chairs. The shelves were lined up against the walls of the room, with a few wheeled out near the tables. Suddenly, a man appeared silently on one of the tables, his head down. He wore all black under a large black trench coat, with a_ _white mask on his face. The guards, standing on either end of the tables with their backs facing him, didn't seem to notice his appearance. The man stared straight at the camera, then suddenly appeared before it. A single green eye was all they saw before the camera went black._

Lucy screamed and Rien flinched when the man suddenly appeared before the screen. The brunette placed a hand on her racing heart, trying to calm her nerves. Still, something about the video was bothering her.

"Are there any security cameras outside?" She wondered.

"No, we haven't been permitted to put the cameras up. Currently, the town believes them to be too invasive. No one wants to feel like they're being filmed every time they walk past the archives."

Rien's eyebrows furrowed as she thought. It was strange to think they didn't have cameras. She thought the archives would have been more important than a brief moment of discomfort. "Does he come every night?"

"For the past five days, yes."

"Then I think what we need is a good old steak out." Lucy grinned. "I'll wait inside, and Rien will be on the roof."

The brunette agreed. If it came down to a fight, Lucy would be waiting inside with her keys. Although what she didn't tell security was that she wouldn't be trying to stop the man from getting inside. Her first purpose was to observe. She wanted to see who the man was and how he was sneaking into the archives. If Lucy was taking on the part of the job to catch the man, then she was going to figure out how to make the building safer in the future.

From the security office, the girls spent the next hour exploring the room that had been broken into. Rien and Lucy both agreed that the man was using some form of teleportation. Not only were there no footprints, but the guards had reported not hearing footsteps either. Whoever they were trying to catch was using magic for sure.

Finally, as the sun went down, the two girls got into position. Rien stood on the roof, eyes closed, using her magic to take in the area around her. Meanwhile, Lucy was in the archive room, hidden in the back with her eyes trained on the table where the masked man had first appeared.

The Fairy Tail girls were ready.

* * *

Mira and Makarov spent the next few hours in his office, making a list of memories specifically about or including Rien. They were meticulous, wanting to make sure they weren't missing anything. While they usually would try to keep presentations or speeches short due to Fairy Tail's extremely small attention span, the two had agreed every second was worth it if it meant giving Rien the attention she deserved.

There had come a point where the knocking on the door had become unbearable. Questions were coming faster than they could ignore them.

' _Who was that?'_

' _Where's Lucy?'_

' _Tell us where the job is so we can join her immediately!'_

' _Why did Lucy run away?'_

' _Who's Rain?'_

When Mira came out in her Satan Soul, a dark aura about her, and Master Makarov had grown as large as the building would allow, both booming for the guild to leave them be, Fairy Tail finally began to realize whatever was going on was an extremely serious matter. So, as the two most powerful members in the building poured over their plans, countless mages waited in anxious fear. When day turned to night and the office door remained firmly shut, they began to slink away with a sense of shame about them, even if they didn't know what the shame was for.

* * *

Rien remained firm in her silent vigil. She'd spent a good half hour calculating what kind of wizard they'd be facing and how they might have gotten inside, going over the facts.

First off, she recalled how he had appeared with his head down against the table. One would assume that after teleporting, the caster would be glancing around immediately any sense of danger. Although they could choose where to teleport, they had no control over what people or creatures might be in the area. She took into account that maybe they'd done research beforehand.

She recalled how their head had snapped up to look directly at the security cameras lens, appearing there not even a second later. Rewatching the scene in her mind's eye made her shiver, but it was important information nonetheless.

She thought of the guards' reports that they'd never heard footsteps, even though the intruder had clearly been in several locations throughout the room. Multiple storage cabinets and shelves had been opened with files removed, all of which ended up back on the table. She considered then that perhaps their law-breaker hadn't known how the archive was arranged. That was the clever bit. The archive magically rearranged itself every night, and the only way to find a specific piece of information was to check the magic file located on Ms. Lucinda's laptop. Anyone who wanted to look at a file would have to be approved by her first, in which case she would send them the location of the file for that specific day. Perhaps the intruder had realized this fact after the second or third day, which is why the search was more spread out amongst the room.

Now, Rien was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the roof, the red aura around her body only slightly visible. Her eyes were closed in concentration. She sensed every twitch of a guards arm or the shuttering of the leaves in the trees. Rien was using an extremely sensitive spell. She was actively detecting all the factors in the environment around her with no clear goal in mind, only taking note of variables that could be changed. The slightest loss of concentration would end the spell immediately.

Then, she felt it.

The brunette stood, continuing her spell while lightly tapping a small lacrima attached to her shorts.

The thief had arrived.

Male. 6'1. 152 Lbs

He appeared on a tree branch first, body facing the trunk of the tree. Before he made contact with the bark, his head swiveled towards the roof. She felt a burst of magic, and it took everything in her not to lose focus when the man appeared on the edge of the roof. The girl forced her body to remain lax and her breathing even. If she let him know she knew he was there he would flee immediately, and they would be back to square one.

Rien sensed he had taken another jump, landing on the glass of a skylight. He angled his head down, disappearing once again.

The edge of her lip lifted.

She knew how he got inside.

Rien stood, startling the guards around her. She shook her head, dashing for the latch on the roof that would take her downstairs. She crept as quietly as she could, emerging near Lucy's location. From the door, she could see the man teleport over to a shelf and begin browsing its contents. The guards hadn't moved, but were told to clear the room until the girls got the intruder subdued as soon as they jumped into action. Rien reached out with her magic to Lucy, showing her the conclusion she'd reached and the best probable outcome.

Lucy smirked.

Showtime.

* * *

"I think that should do it, master." Mira sighed, stretching her arms above her head. It had taken hours of pouring over memories, but the two had done their best.

"If only we could have her tell us how likely this is to work." The master chuckled, exhaustion laced in his voice. He knew just as well as Mira did that if Rien knew what they were planning, she'd never let them go through with it.

"All that's left is Lucy's memories of the mission. They should be catching the intruder right about now." Mira noted. "I hope whatever Rien does tonight will prove how amazing her magic is."

Makarov hummed. "I have no doubts in her. I'm more curious to see how well those two work together. Lucy is already fairly clever if her team would just listen to her. Her observations and the power of her spirits along with Rien's magic could be quite the powerful combination."

The barmaid nodded. "I agree. We'll have to see how it went tomorrow. Goodnight Master."

"Goodnight."

Makarov sat at his desk, thinking of all the mistakes he'd made when it came to Rien Lobelia. He loved her just as he loved all his children, but he certainly hadn't shown it.

' _Just wait a little longer Rien. This old man will fix his mistakes'._

* * *

 _ **Aww, so Lucy and Rien are getting to know each other better. I'm excited about it. I'm also really excited about this new magic I want Lucy to learn. Another made up one; we'll see how it goes. As of writing this chapter, I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Oh well, we'll get there!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3 - 3 Ways to Trap a Thief**_

" **Open, gate of the Ram, Aries."** Lucy whispered. She tried to keep the light of Aries gate as dim as possible as the female zodiac appeared.

"H-hello Miss Lucy."

"Aries, this is my friend Rien. She's going to show you something, okay?" Lucy whispered.

The spirited noded, a small blush on her face.

Rien had never used her magic on a celestial spirit before, but she figured it must be about the same as a normal mage. She reached out with her magic, enveloping Aries with a soft glow as she showed her what to do. Aries face lit up. She turned, directing her hands at the ceiling.

" **Wool bomb!"**

By the time the intruding male had turned towards them, it was too late. Aries wool covered every bit of the ceiling, blocking the outside world.

Rien and Lucy stepped out of the shadows.

"Normally, a mage with teleportation could get out of here, no problem." Lucy started, a proud grin on her face. Aries stood next to her wizard with pride.

"But you need to see the spot you're going to teleport," Rien revealed, hands behind her back. "Such is the downfall of untrained magic. I'm afraid leaving this room is no longer possible. The guards will be here soon. You may as well tell us what you were looking for."

Rien had calculated a 73% chance the man would attack upon capture, so she was ready when he disappeared. The girl ducked backward onto her hands and kicked up into a back walkover, just barely nicking his face. She stood up, her body encased in red.

She sensed him behind her and ducked, missing the tip of a sharpened fencing blade by millimeters.

"He has a weapon!" She yelled to Lucy. She tried to swing around with her foot to kick him, but the man was already gone.

" **Wool Shot!"**

Aries attempted to hit the man with her wool magic, but he was simply too fast for her to get a proper shot. Lucy bit her lip.

"Thank you for your help Aries, but I need you to go back." The mage spoke. She closed the gate and quickly grabbed another key.

" **Open, gate of the archer, Sagittarius!"**

"Moshi Moshi."

"Sagittarius, Rien is going to give you some instruction with her magic. Pay attention to her and do what she says, alright?" Lucy called. Rien, still encased by her magic, used a roundoff to deftly flip over the blade once more. She threw a hand towards Sagittarius, sending him the data she'd collected on their mysterious assailant so far, including where he'd likely appear next. Rien winced as she kept the connection open, twirling away from another stab aimed at her heart. She was running low on magic, but they needed to keep stalling until someone could come to slap some cuffs on this guy.

Sagittarius grabbed a blunt arrow, strung it to his bow, and shot.

For a moment, Lucy thought Sagittarius had missed. The place he'd fired his arrow was nowhere near where their attacker currently was.

She really should have known better.

Sagittarius' shot remained true as the intruder appeared in the exact spot the spirit had fired at, being hit in the back of the neck by the arrow. Like a sack of rocks, he fell to the ground, unconscious before he hit the floor.

"We did it!" Lucy cheered, dismissing Sagittarius back to the celestial spirit world. She looked to her brunette companion right in time to see her knees give out and her body begin to fall.

"RIEN!" She screamed, dashing forward. Before she could reach the girl Loke appeared, catching her in his arms.

"Loke, thank god." Lucy sighed, holding a hand against her heart. She moved forward with less urgency, hoping to check on her new friend.

"S-sorry. I've been using magic nonstop for about two hours now." Rien admitted, making no move to escape Loke's grasp. Her body felt like jello. "Keeping a link with Sagittarius and Aries took a lot out of me."

"It's okay. We got him. You were amazing Rien!" Lucy promised, kneeling next to them. Loke had lowered the two to the ground, hoping to make the brunette more comfortable.

"Lucy, who's this? I don't think I've ever seen her before." Loke asked. Something about the girl seemed familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it…

His heart nearly broke at the look of sadness on Lucy's face.

"Loke, not you too…"

Rien squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting her new friend to see the pain on her face. Rien knew Loke. They weren't close, but they'd exchanged a few words around the guild every so often. She had been surprised when Lucy explained he was actually a spirit, but hadn't commented further. Was she really so unmemorable?

"Princess, what do you-"

"I'll take it from here Loke. We'll talk later. Go back."

The blonde didn't give him an option, forcing the gate shut.

"Rien, I'm so sorry," Lucy whispered, gathering her in her arms. Rien enjoyed the comfort, but she refused to cry.

She was fine.

She is fine.

She will be fine.

"It's alright Lucy. I should have expected that."

"IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" Lucy cried, tears gathering in her eyes. "It's not…"

"Girls! I see you caught our thief. Well done." Ms. Lucinda praised. A group of guards swarmed in the room, placing magic shackles on the man in case he regained consciousness. Lucy helped Rien stand, putting their conversation on the backburner for now.

"You're very welcome. Really though, most of the praise should go to Rien. She knew exactly what to do." The blonde bragged.

"N-no! Not at all, it was Lucy's spirits that trapped the thief and knocked him out. The credit should go to her."

The head of security raised an eyebrow. "I believe, in this case, the credit goes to both of you. Is that not what happens when you work as a team?"

"You're right!" Lucy jumped in, beaming. "We're a team Rien, so the credit goes to both of us!"

"A team…" Rien murmured, her eyes shining from the moisture that had gathered there. Lucy laughed.

"I definitely want to do another job with you, so you'll have to get used to it." She teased. "In the meantime, Ms. Lucinda, is there somewhere we could rest for a bit before we leave?"

"Of course. We have a room prepared for you at a local hotel, please, feel free to stay until morning."

The two thanked her profusely, tired but full of pride as they left the archive. It was a job well done indeed.

* * *

"Master, they should be back any moment." Mira whispered into a lacrima. Her hands were sweaty with nervous anticipation. She hoped that what they were doing was enough, because she and the master both feared that if it wasn't, Rien would leave the guild. Permanently.

" _Good. Let me know when they arrive."_

"Will do." Mira continued with her daily duties, ignoring any comments or questions about the day before with a warning smile. All the while, she kept her eyes trained on the door.

' _Lucy, Rien, where are you?'_

* * *

"Should we go home first, or straight to the guild?" Rien called to Lucy as they rode on Wynn's back. The Wyvern had been more than excited to see them, tackling Rien to the ground as soon as she was within sight, followed by a giggling Lucy. Surprisingly, the Celestial mage hadn't minded, finding the act to be adorable.

"Let's go to the guild first. I'd like to tell Mira how easily we finished the job!"

"Says you. You weren't almost skewered in the heart by a fencing sword!" Rien giggled. Lucy smiled into Rien's back. She noticed that when Rien was around others she didn't know or using her magic, her speech was much more formal than when she was joking around with a friend.

"Your moves were incredible. Did you ever do gymnastics?" She asked curiously.

The brunette nodded. "I did before I found out about my potential to use magic. My aunt also taught me how to strike pressure points to immobilize certain limbs or knock an opponent out. That's why I showed Sagittarius that the best place to strike the thief was a pressure point on the back of his neck."

"Amazing! You'll have to show me sometime. Now that you mention it, I wonder what he was looking for anyway."

"Who knows? Maybe we could contact Ms. Lucinda later and ask."

Rien subconsciously acknowledged how easy it was to talk to Lucy and how quickly she felt like they were becoming friends. It had taken months for her to become this close with Mira, so what made Lucy different? Was it the mission, the mixing of their magic? She wasn't sure, but even she could admit she was happy with the results.

Lucy also felt a special connection with Rien. Although she considered Levy and Cana to be two of her best friends alongside Natsu, she found that where she and Levy could talk about books, she and Rien could talk about magic. When Lucy worked with Rien, she felt powerful and important. Instead of leaving the other to figure out what to do, the two had worked together, forming a plan and even mixing their magic. The blonde wasn't sure how necessary she'd been on the mission, but Rien had made a point of assigning roles to her spirits and even fighting alongside them. It was certainly new, and she wondered what other tricks the brunette might have up her sleeve.

Finally, the girls made it back to the field where they'd met Wynn before. The landing was smooth, with Wynn kneeling so the two could safely slide off his back.

"Thank you, Wynn. We're just going to stop by the guild, and then I'll come back to play with you, okay?" Rien asked, holding out a carrot for the beast. Wynn growled happily, nudging her hip with his snout.

"Can I come too?" Lucy asked. "I'd love to know how you play with a Wyvern."

"Of course!" Rien exclaimed. "It'll be fun!"

"Then what're we waiting for?" Lucy giggled, grabbing her new friends hand. Rien's eyes went wide. She didn't have time to comment before Lucy was pulling her back to the guild.

When they arrived, Rien paused in front of the doors, taking a deep breath. In her mind, she could hear the echoes of her guildmates as they questioned her presence and wondered why Lucy was bothering to hang out with her. Her hands began to tremble.

"It'll be okay," Lucy assured, squeezing the other girls hand. "C'mon. I'll stay with you the whole time. Promise."

"O-okay." Rien agreed, seeming to shrink into herself. She looked like a child trailing behind the blonde celestial mage, who opened the doors to the guild.

 _~~Break Line~~_

Mira's head snapped to the guild door. There, making their way towards her, were the two girls she had been waiting for.

" _Master, they're here."_

"Hey guys, Lucy's back!" Someone shouted. Others looked her way, waving and calling out to her.

Lucy ignored them all.

"Hi, Mira." She greeted as she approached the bar, pretending not to hear the confused voices of her guildmates. Mira nodded.

"Hello Lucy, Rien. Would guys mind sitting here for a minute?"

"I-I don't-" Rien hesitated, stumbling when Lucy pulled her to a seat.

"Sure. Just a minute or two though. We promised a friend we'd play after we're done here."

"This should only take a minute."

The door to the Master's office slammed open.

"ALRIGHT BRATS, SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN."

In wake of yesterday's events, every mage sat down immediately. The master leaped up onto the railing, gold magic surrounding him.

"WHO HERE KNOWS RIEN LOBELIA?"

Rien squeaked, shrinking into her seat. No no no. This couldn't be happening. What were they doing?!

Lucy set a questioning gaze to Mira, but the barmaid was already making her way up the stairs to the master.

The rest of the guild hall remained quiet.

Lucy raised her hand.

"Only one of you." The master mumbled, clear disappointment on his face. He looked over his children, wondering where they'd gone wrong. What kind of Nakama were they if they picked and chose who was important?

"Rien Lobelia-" Mira started, tightly grabbing onto the railing beside Makarov "is one of the nicest, most loving, creative, intelligent, resourceful, and caring mages I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. This is what she did on her last mission."

A lacrima held between Mira's fingers started to glow. There was a burst of light in the room and suddenly, a two-story projection of the map Rien had created was before the entire guild. The girls face burned with embarrassment.

"This map of the Tillman forest shows, in detail, every area of the forest, what plant life and animals you'll find there, the altitude of every hill, the exact location of all landmarks, the safest routes to travel, and where they most dangerous creatures live. This map, which would take a normal person years to make, took her 15 months on her own."

Some of the more intellectual members of the guild began to murmur to one another, clearly impressed, while the more temperamental ones wondered why this was so impressive.

"And these-" the master continued "are our memories of Rien. A mage Fairy Tail is proud to have amongst their ranks."

' _Rien entered the back area where Mira did most of the cooking and serving. They noticed the wide array of ingredients and the disheveled look on the barmaid's face._

" _Hello Mira. Is everything alright?" Rien asked worriedly._

" _Ah, hello Rien. Everything's fine. Just a bit of a busy day."_

 _Rien glowed red for a moment, a contemplative look on her face._

" _Erza is coming back from a mission today. You're trying to make her a strawberry shortcake, right?"_

" _Nothing gets by you, does it?" Mira asked sheepishly, loading a tray with drinks. Rien blushed._

" _I-I can make the cake for you. I know how to follow a recipe, and that'll give you more time to do your other jobs."_

 _Mira shook her head. "It's alright. I'll have time."_

 _Rien glowed again. "Actually, at your current rate of work, there's only a 27% chance you'll have this cake baked properly and frosted before Erza arrives back, assuming she doesn't return early. Please, let me help."_

" _Well, I can't argue with that! You're a lifesaver Rien. Thank you."_

 _In response, the brunette rolled up her sleeves and grabbed the recipe book, jumping into her work.'_

Erza watched the memory in shock. Not only had Rien made the cake for her, but she'd also known it was her favorite and that she'd be coming back from a mission that day, which was why Mira was going to make it. Her stomach churned. How much had Rien known about her, done for her, whereas she had never even acknowledged the brunettes existence?

' _There was a soft knock on the Makarov's office door. "Master, may I come in?"_

" _Of course." Makarov answered. The door opened, and Rien slipped inside._

" _Are you alright? You've been in here for the past six hours." He noticed the beer in her hand and smiled._

" _You're always so observant." He mused, taking the drink._

" _Is it paperwork from the council?"_

" _Just a mountain of crap I need to sign, taking responsibility for property damage." The old man groaned, downing the alcohol in one go. Although there was a large stack of signed papers, there was an even larger stack of unsigned documents._

" _I can sign some if you'd like. There's-" Rien paused, her eyes flashing red. "Only a 19% chance they'd recognize its not your signature, and even then I doubt the council will actually care. They hate processing the paperwork just as much as we hate signing it."_

" _Are you sure?" He asked, clearly only doing so to be polite. He desperately wanted her help. Rien giggled._

" _I'm positive Master. Let me help, for you and for Fairy Tail."_

 _The memory fast forwarded, rapidly showing Rien and the Master talking, laughing, and signing papers until the sun went down._

" _And...done!" Rien exclaimed, signing the last paper. "We actually finished an hour earlier than I predicted."_

" _Thank you, child." The master smiled, patting her head from his position standing on the desk. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"_

" _Let me take a look at the finance book? I could balance the budget in approximately 3-4 hours."_

 _Makarov cried.'_

Most of the guild members began to put two and two together, realizing that the mage sitting next to Lucy was actually Rien from the memories being shown to them. Lucy stood, wrapping her arms around Rien while giving a defiant stare to the rest of the guild. It was challenging, and it commanded them to stay put and keep watching the memories.

' _Rien sat at a bar stool next to Mira. Time fast forwarded, showing Rien chatting with Mira and making her laugh at several points throughout the day. Despite day turning to night, Rien remained in her seat until everyone else but she and the barmaid had left._

" _Wow, I can't believe you stayed all day. Pretty tiring, isn't it?" Mira asked, wiping down a table. "You can go home if you'd like, I'll close down."_

" _I'll wait for you. I don't want you to be alone."_

 _Mira faltered. "What do you mean? You know I can handle myself and my house isn't that far away."_

" _Well, it's because…" Rien stood, nervously folding her hands together. "Today would be Lisana's 16th birthday, wouldn't it?"_

 _The Strauss girl paused, slowly lifting her head to look at the other mage who strode toward her with a nervous look on her face. "I-I never met her. But I remember you told me about her, and I realized last year when I looked at your calendar that time I visited your house. You circled the day and drew a little cat paw with a piece of cake. You told me that was her favorite animal soul, right? So I figured maybe…"_

 _Mira dropped her towel and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the younger girl and letting the tears flow that she'd been holding in all day. She laughed through her pain, squeezing Rien tighter._

" _You're right. It is."_

 _The two girls sunk to the ground and Rien wrapped her arms around the barmaid in return, rubbing her back and saying nothing as she let her cry.'_

Lisana felt tears gather in her eyes and hugged her arms around her torso. She realized now that she owed a lot to Rien for taking care of her older sister while she was gone. For comforting her through the pain.

The memories continued. Rien serving drinks and food to everyone, receiving only a 'thanks Mira' in return. Rien running errands for the master. Rien helping decorate for the large parties they threw every month to celebrate birthdays. Rien making sure there was enough alcohol for Cana every morning before the drunk arrived. Rien gathering articles and rumors about dragons, helping Mira sort through which ones might be the most legit in helping Natsu find Igneel, which were later presented to him by the barmaid herself. Rien picking up after Grey's lost clothing, folding them, and leaving them on a table for him to put back on later. Rien placing book recommendations for Levy on a table near the door. The list went on.

Fairy Tail finally knew what it felt like to be truly ashamed.

Several members, male and female alike, had tears trailing down their faces. A few, feeling anger towards themselves, punched tables or kicked a nearby chair. Some felt sick, holding their stomachs while being unable to move, and others resembled statues.

Rien Lobelia. The girl who knew and loved them all. They'd never forget her again.

The girl in question remained in a state of shock in her chair, while Lucy hugged her soothingly. The blonde mage felt love blossom for the brunette. She'd felt in her heart that Rien was a good person, but she never knew exactly how amazing she was until now. Not just in her magic, but her personality as well. She promised herself then that she would do everything in her power to protect Rien's happiness, because she deserved the world and more for everything she'd done in taking care of Lucy's family before the blonde had even arrived in Fairy Tail. Lucy would forever be grateful to her.

"Lucy," Makarov called, keeping his voice steady. "Please show us what you remember of Rien in this latest mission."

"It'd be my pleasure." The blonde agreed. She gave Rien one last squeezing, her heart breaking all over again for the unresponsive girl. Lucy climbed the stairs quickly, all eyes on her. Closing her eyes, she took the lacrima in her hand, doing her best to keep Wynn out of her memories.

' _Rien smiled warmly. "Th-thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be alright. I may be at around eighty-percent efficiency, but that should be more than enough for this job. We just have to trap the intruder tonight and find out how they were getting in so the archive can fix its security. With my magic, it shouldn't be too difficult."_

" _So if you're the strategist, I guess that makes me the fighter! It's my turn to kick ass!" Lucy said, striking a pose. Rien started giggling, with the blonde following right after._

 _Rien stood in front of the security computers, watching the footage over and over again. "Something's bothering me, but I need to collect more data."_

 _The scene switched to Rien running down the stairs and asking Lucy if she was ready. Lucy nodded, prompting Rien to activate her magic. Her body glowed, sending Lucy instructions._

' _ **Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!'**_

" _But you need to see the spot you're going to teleport." Rien stood, a smirk on her face, hands behind her back. "I'm afraid leaving this room is no longer possible. The guards will be here soon. You may as well tell us what you were looking for."_

 _Rien folded herself backward just in time to dodge the sword that would have struck her heart at the man's sudden appearance in front of her. She pushed up into a backward walkover, nearly striking the man in the face. Rien twirled, flipped, and used gymnastics to dodge each blow, her body glowing brighter and brighter in red as time went on._

" _ **Open, Gate of the archer, Sagittarius!"**_

" _Sagittarius, Rien is going to give you some instruction. Listen to her, alright?"_

 _Rien threw out a hand towards Sagittarius, encasing him in red light. The spirit rapidly strung a bow and fired, managing a to strike a direct hit into the back of the assailant's neck despite releasing the arrow before he'd even teleported there._

 _Rien crumpled to the ground. "S-sorry, I've been using magic for about two hours straight now."_

 _You were incredible.'_

Rien jumped to her feet with tears streaming down her face, drawing the attention of the rest of the guild. She couldn't stand their expressions. They all looked so ashamed and apologetic on her behalf.

She couldn't take it.

The girl made a beeline for the door, raising her whistle to her lips, pushing her way through the exit of the guild.

That seemed to spur people into action. Erza and Natsu were at the head of the pack, rushing after her.

"Rien, wait!" Lucy screamed, doing her best to catch up to her friend. It was no use. By the time Lucy had arrived, Wynn was already there. Rien jumped on the Wyverns back, yelling frantically for him to take off. With a powerful pump of his wings, both Rien and the Wyvern were in the sky, rapidly disappearing from view.

The guild stared at the beast in silent awe. That creature, what was it? How had Rien tamed it?

Happy was the first to break the silence.

"SH-SHE HAS A DRAGON?!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: That ends that. So yeah. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on this fight. I'll try to do more in the future, but the point of this was to get Fairy Tail to finally see Rien as a powerful mage. A few of them have realized what her magic is, but most of them haven't. I love the idea of Lucy being the catalyst for change in the guild regarding Rien. Sorry if these first chapters seem rushed, but I really want to get to the more exciting parts of the story.**_

 _ **To those who asked, yes, the story will be Natsu x Rien. You'll start to see that very soon. I also want to make a point of saying there is a reason why Fairy Tail didn't notice Rien. I'll get to that later in the story. MUCH later.**_

 ** _Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed._**

 ** _See you in the next chapter!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 ~ 4 Ways to Keep Your Guildmate**_

"That's not a dragon Happy," Lucy stated loudly for the guild to hear. "He's a Wyvern. His name is Wynn. Rien found him separated from his pack when she was exploring the Tillman forest."

"B-But Lu-Chan! Do you know how rare Wyverns are?! They predict that there's less than fifty left in the world!" Levy exclaimed.

Lucy's eyes filled with tears. "I know that! She told me how few are left. That even with her magic, it'd be almost impossible for her to find his pack again. But Wynn imprinted on her, and she's his new home. His new family. Just like we're supposed to be hers."

"We need to find them," Natsu spoke seriously. Lucy rounded on him, about to scream that Rien was more important right now than examining Wynn, when she noticed the look in his eyes. He was serious. He was in pain. He realized that he was about to lose one of his Nakama. He realized how horribly they had failed in a place where they promised to make everyone welcome. Was he thinking about what they'd seen? Everything Rien had done in the shadows to help him find Igneel when the rest of the guild treated it like a joke until they'd met Gajeel?

"I have an idea." Lucy murmured to her guild, taking out a silver key. She held it out, pouring her desperation and love towards Rien into the summoning.

" **Open, Gate of the Compass, Pyxis!"**

Most of the guild recognized the small bird spirit from the Grand Magic games when Lucy tried to use him to find the end of the labyrinth. Pyxis flapped his wings, landing before his wizard.

"Pyxis, please, show us which way Rien went."

The bird spirit chirped, hopping up and down while the compass on his head spun around and around until it finally landed NE, a bit off from where it looked like Rien had flown.

"I'll keep Pyxis out in case she moves somewhere else," Lucy muttered, following after her spirit who'd begun to hop towards Rien's location. The rest of the guild trailed after them, with Mira and Makarov leading the charge next to her. Even if they'd done it to help her, they knew they needed to apologize to Rien for sharing the private moments they had with her.

* * *

Rien curled closer into herself, unsure of how long she'd been sobbing on the ground. Every video had brought back the small stings of pain she'd felt after every incident of being ignored, from people calling her 'Mira' after she'd delivered food or watching herself be ignored in the background while Gray retrieved the clothes she'd folded for him or Levy absentmindedly grabbed another book she'd left for her off the table.

To see it all at once and have it on display at the guild had been too much to take.

Her back was against Wynn's side, and the Wyvern had wrapped his tail around her body to keep her protected in his embrace. The beast was on alert, growling low in the back of his throat. He was ready to rip apart anyone that tried to get to close to her.

* * *

"Wait." Lucy commanded, stopping the congregation of Fairy Tail wizards. They were getting close. She looked at the master, hesitation in her eyes. "Should we really be taking almost the entire guild to find her? I think that's a bit overwhelming."

Makarov sighed, knowing she was probably right. It was reckless for the entire guild to leave at once, but that's what Fairy Tail was known for.

"You're right." He agreed, running a hand down his face. "Mira?"

"I'll ask everyone behind Cana to wait here." The white haired beauty agreed, slipping towards the back of the crowd. That left Lucy, Levy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Elfman, Lisanna, Cana, and Loke (who'd summoned himself once Lucy and Rien arrived back at the guild). Makarov, knowing those few had heard, signaled for them to go ahead.

* * *

"Wynn, am I being stupid?" Rien mumbled, letting her head rest against the Wyvern's side. Wynn snorted, and Rien suddenly felt him press his forehead to hers.

"I am so lucky to have you." She giggled, reaching up to scratch his chin. Wynn made a low whine from the back of his throat, keeping her secured in place with his tail.

"Wynn. You- you would go anywhere I went, wouldn't you? You want to be with me, right?"

Wynn bumped her forehead again, slightly harder this time as if to show his offense at the question. Of course he would.

"Maybe…well, I was just thinking… sh-should we leave Fairy Tail?"

"YOU CAN'T!"

Rien screamed, startled by the sudden yell while Wynn sprung onto his two legs and growled. They heard rustling from the forest along with thundering footsteps heading their way. Rien gulped, sliding herself into a defensive stance while Wynn hunched low to the ground. Not even a moment later, a familiar pinkett burst through the bush, a panicked look in his eyes and his fists ignited with flames. He was breathing heavily, clearly having sprinted from somewhere, but how had they even found her? Rien's eyes flashed.

"Lucy." She murmured. "She used her Pyxis key, didn't she?"

"That doesn't matter." Natsu answered vigorously. Rien took a step back. He probably didn't even realize his fists were aflame and growing bigger by the second. "You can't leave Fairy Tail!"

"St-stay away!" Rien cried, backing up as far as she could. Natsu kept moving.

"I know we messed up, okay? But we're Nakama! And Nakama doesn't give up on each other no matter what! If we hurt you, then let us fix it!"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" The brunette yelled, cheeks flushed.

"We won't give up on you Rien. You never gave up on Igneel, so I'll never give up on you either!"

"NO!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. "YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE NOW AFTER IGNORING ME FOR SO LONG! I JUST WANT TO FIND A PLACE WHERE I MATTER!"

Wynn pushed up onto his hind legs, letting out a deafening roar. The trees shook and the forest came alive as any nearby animals flead the area. A brown magic circle appeared below the Wyvern and his master. The beast slammed his winged arms into the ground, causing a barrage of vines to erupt from below. The force of it caused the dragon slayer to stumble back as the vines grew and twisted together, forming a tipi around the two. When the rumbling stopped, Rien and Wynn were hidden away in the vines.

"You do have a place with us! Your family is Fairy Tail!" Natsu yelled. "And we'll do whatever it takes to prove that to you!" The wizard rushed forward, flames burning bright, planning to burn the structure down if he had to to reach the girl inside.

"NATSU, KNOCK IT OFF!"

The teen stopped mid punch, looking back out of the corner of his eye. Lucy was there, more furious than he had ever seen her. But that wasn't important now. He needed to get to Rien.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU CAN'T JUST BURN EVERYTHING AND EXPECT IT TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS!" The blonde screeched. She grabbed his bicep, even though she knew she wouldn't have a chance at stopping him if he really wanted to go through with the punch.

"So what are we supposed to do?! Just sit around and wait?"

"Let me talk to her." Lucy responded. "Wynn will let me in. Rien says he trusts me. He made me part of their pack."

Natsu stepped back, crossing his arms. He'd have his chance to talk to Rien, but he needed Lucy to get her out of there first. The rest of the guild members from the group joined him, silently awaiting Lucy's next move.

"Wynn? It's me, Lucy." The celestial mage whispered, resting her hands on one of the vines. "Can I come in and talk to Rien please? I just want to make sure she's okay."

The Fairy Tail mages watched with bated breath. Slowly, one of the vines began to unravel, folding down to make a doorway that Lucy could crawl into, the angle keeping them from seeing what Rien and Wynn looked like inside. The blonde shot them a warning look before she placed her hands on the vine, pulling herself up so she could crawl in. Natsu shot forward, fully intending on following when the vine suddenly shot up, causing Lucy to fall in while smacking Natsu away by the chin. The fire slayer groaned as he landed on his back in the dirt. He sat up quickly, but it was too late.

The vine had already sealed Lucy inside.

* * *

"L-Lucy?" Rien whimpered. The blonde fell to her knees beside her, pulling the other girl into a hug.

"Rien, I am _so_ sorry. We never meant to break your trust or anything like that! We were just trying to make Fairy Tail see _you._ You've given them so much love and devotion over the years, and expected nothing in return. But that's not fair to you. You shouldn't have to sit there and suffer in silence, left out of the love we share as a family. You are so deserving of it. You've poured more in than anyone has ever realized. I couldn't sit back and watch them talk about you like that."

"D-did you know? Did you know Master and Mira were going to do that?"

"Not at all! They didn't come up with that until we'd already left." Lucy promised, rubbing a hand across Rien's back. The girl let out a shaky breath.

"I've done so much for them. _So much._ But watching that, it was like taking every down moment I've ever had and throwing it back in my face. The entire guild's face to be more accurate. I just, there's so much more to me than those memories. What if everyone only sees me as the poor little mage Fairy Tail didn't love? What if they expect that I'm sweet like that all the time? What if they're doing all of this to make themselves feel better instead of me? Do they even care about who I am?! Who am I?! The Probability Mage? The girl who tamed a Wyvern? A Fairy Tail wizard? What makes them my family other than the mark on the back of my neck? If that's all I am, then I don't want it anymore!"

"Rien, I promise you there is so much more to our guild, to the people standing outside. If you give them the chance, they _will_ get to know you. We all saw how you supported Mira and laughed with the Master for hours while doing paperwork. We saw you being cheeky and clever on that mission. We saw you fight for Fairy Tail. Please, won't you give Fairy Tail a chance to fight for you?"

Rien stood up, wiping her tears. She placed a hand on Wynn and stood as tall as her body would allow.

"I know what I'm going to do. Wynn, could you please lower the vines?"

Lucy stood as well, biting her lip nervously. What was Rien planning next?

The vines shook, slowly coming untwined. As the light began to shine through, Lucy noticed the determined glint in her eyes. The blonde sighed, trying to force herself to relax. What ever Rien did next was of her own agency. Whether she liked it not, Lucy knew she would have to respect whatever Rien chose. It was bittersweet really. If Rien decided to leave, then Lucy would let her go and hope she could find her own happiness. She already knew that she felt a bond too close to Rien to let her leave her life for good; if Rien did leave, she'd make her promise to come visit with Wynn all the time and write her letters to keep her updated with her life. If Rien stayed, it was going to be hard. Fairy Tail would have to prove to Rien they cared by getting to know the person behind her mark. Showering her with apologize wasn't going to work. It would be difficult. Their relationship with her was fragile as is, and if they messed up, the damage would be irreversible. Did Rien already know what was going to happen? Had she used her magic to see how this situation would play out?

"H-hello everyone." Rien started, beginning to lose her nerve as she came face to face with the group. She didn't want to see the look of sorrow and regret in their eyes, but she held her head high because damnit, she was speaking and for once, they were going to listen. "I know Natsu heard me, but I'm not sure if the rest of you did. So-" She took a deep breath. "I'm considering leaving Fairy Tail."

There was an explosion of protests, but Rien didn't want to hear them. Her eyes flashed, and her hand glowed as she touched Wynn's leg, causing both of them to stomp with all their strength against the hard dirt floor, knowing it would be the best way to get their attention. The force caused the earth to rattle, bringing everyone back in focus.

"I said I'm considering it." She repeated strongly. "Mirajane, Master, I love you both so much, and I thank you for everything you've done for me since I joined the guild. I know you feel guilty; I've already seen a dozen versions of your apologies, so I'll say now that I forgive you and I know you never meant any harm to fall upon me."

Mira gasped, raising her hands to her lips, while Makarov simply nodded and wiped his eyes with his fist.

"As for the rest of you." Rien's lower lip began to tremble. "I don't know what more I could have done to make you see me. I'm sorry if I was too shy or not loud or powerful enough to be seen, but I've remained true to myself in everything I've done. S-So, I f-fail to see how anything will change now." The brunette paused, trying to collect herself. "You saw me in the memories, but you never saw me as a person. I-I don't know if I can find f-family in you. M-maybe it just wasn't meant to be. A-after all, you d-don't a-always get to ch-chose…" Rien choked, biting out the last words. "You don't always get to choose who you love."

In that moment, she felt like her heart shattered as she finally admitted the thing she'd been trying to hide from herself for years. Every time she was ignored or unnoticed, she tried to tell herself that it didn't mean anything. One day, they would know how much she cared and they would love her in return, even though she refused to try and see the outcomes herself. Her magic may give her control in a battle, but she refused to let it control her life. She thought maybe bringing Wynn to the guild might make that happen. And it could have, had she gotten around to actually doing it. But that's not how it worked out. Rien knew all too well that the most probable outcome wasn't always the one that came true. Perhaps, Fairy Tail really couldn't love her after all. Maybe she wasn't meant to be there. It wasn't anyone's fault particularly. Maybe they just weren't compatible. Rien couldn't help but wonder if there was another guild out there where she'd actually fit in if she looked for it? Still, she loved Fairy Tail, and she couldn't just walk away.

Her voice shuttered as she continued. "If you really want me here, and you really think you can love me, th-then I'll give you six weeks to prove it. A-and if it turns out I'm not a suitable fit for Fairy Tail after all, and I still feel this way when the time is up, then I'll leave. But if you don't think it'll work out, that it's not even worth trying, then-" Rien turned, pulling her hair up to reveal her Fairy Tail mark "I'd like this removed right now. Please."

She felt selfish. What right did she have to ask such a powerful guild to love her? What right did she have to ask them to fight for her to stay?

And yet, was it so wrong to want someone to care enough to fight for you?

Rien gasped, losing her grip as two strong arms wrapped around her torso from behind. Her eyes turned to saucers, noting the strands of pink hair peeking over her shoulder in the afternoon sun.

Natsu.

"We can do it. We _will_ do it. You're my Nakama, just like Happy and Lucy. You tried to help bring Igneel back to me." Rien closed her eyes, feeling a tear drop slide down her neck, between her shoulder blades, and disappear into the fabric of her shirt. "Please don't go, Rien."

Rien had always hated her name, within good reason, but it sounded like bells falling from his lips.

"Six weeks." She reaffirmed, remaining still. She didn't know what to do with her hands or her body for that matter. Natsu was just standing there, hugging her. It felt… nice. Her heart fluttered.

"Rien."

The brunette twisted her body to face the voice, although Natsu was still hugging her from the side. Her eyebrows furrowed at that. Shouldn't he have let go by now? It's not like she just came back from the dead or anything, and they weren't even friends…?

"E-Erza!" Rien exclaimed. Erza was kneeling before her, her forehead touching the ground.

"I will never be able to repay you for the neglect you've suffered all these years at my hand. You are an honorable comrade and one of our own. Please, punish me how you see fit."

"P-please don't use Fairy Tail as an excuse!" Rien squeaked, stepping back. Natsu finally let his arms drop, staring at her in confusion. "I-I just, maybe treat me like a new recruit? I know I'm a member of Fairy Tail, but for these six weeks, can we pretend the mark isn't there? I-I'm not ashamed of it! I-I just, I'm a person before a mage."

"I've messed up again." Erza muttered. She tried to shove her head further down, making the ground crack beneath her skull.

"Then-" Rien's eyes flashed as she looked at Erza, trying to foresee if it was possible to skip the punishment portion. Unfortunately, there wasn't. Erza needed to feel like she had done something to atone for her mistakes before they could move forward.

"A-as punishment, you have to work with Mira and I in the kitchen for 7 days! Of course, if there's a mission, we can postpone some of the days. They don't have to be consecutive."

"That's what you want?" Erza checked, lifting herself so that she was only on her knees. The punishment seemed light, yet she didn't want to upset Rien further by rejecting her offer. The brunette nodded rapidly.

"Yes! That's what I want."

"Would you be willing to do a job with us?" Gray asked, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I know this isn't about you being a wizard, but jobs are a great way of connecting with other people."

"I did say I wanted to do more jobs with you!" Lucy jumped in, bumping Rien with her hip. Wynn stuck his head between the two girls, causing them to giggle. "You too Wynn."

"Th-that'd be fun." The brunette agreed softly. "Don't you think?"

Wynn's tale thumped behind them happily.

"Aries and Sagittarius told us of their time working with you." Loke stepped in, grabing one of Rien's hands in his own. "I'm sorry I didn't remember you. But I'd like to make new memories, if you'll allow it."

Rien wished she could stop crying. Feeling as though the tears would fall if she spoke, she could only nod in answer to his request.

"And me! I mean, Lu-chan, you and I could form a book club!" Levy shouted, a blush on her face. "I-I really loved all the books you picked out for me. Did you read them too?"

"Y-yeah." Rien agreed.

"Looks like I have some catching up to do!" Lucy exclaimed. "I just need a list. It'll give me something to do on the train when we take jobs together."

"You know-" Cana stepped forward, managing to stay upright despite the alcohol in her system. "If your book choice is as good as your booze choice, I could get behind reading."

"I-I'd like to join as well!" Lisana cried. "I also enjoy reading and… you've been so good to my sister while I was gone and she clearly loves you dearly so I think we'd get along really well too!" She rambled.

"Th-That sounds like fun."

Elfman towered over Rien, and it took everything in her not to run away. He raised his hand and…

Patted her on the head?

"You truly have been the manliest of us all." He stated solemnly. "Now let us show you how manley we can be!"

"I did promise six weeks."

"MEN ONLY NEED ONE!"

"L-let's not go speeding up time!" Mira cut in, pushing her brother out of the way. She reached for Rien, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Thank you for giving us another chance." She whispered. Rien squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around the barmaid in return.

"You're very welcome."

"Well then, it looks like Fairy Tail has a new mission." Makarov spoke, eyes sparkling. "For the next six week, our mission is to keep Rien from leaving the guild!"

"YEAH~!" The mages cheered. Rien's face hurt from all the smiling she was currently doing, and yet she couldn't stop.

"Everyone". Rien started, face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry too. F-for running away like that. Ummm, I guess you've all met Wynn by now, right?" The probability mage asked awkwardly, referring to the Wyvern behind her in order to change the subject. Wynn puffed up proudly, warm air from his breath blowing hair onto Rien's face.

"Coooooooool~! He's almost like a dragon!" Natsu cheered, stepping closer. Wynn's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ah, hold on! Just because he isn't attempting to harm you doesn't mean he isn't hostile!" Rien cried. Without thinking she reached out, putting her hands on Natsu's chest to keep him from coming forward. When she realized what she'd done she squeaked, jumping back towards her reptilian friend.

"You did just hurt one of his pack." Lucy pointed out sheepishly, holding out her hand that Wynn willing nuzzled with his head. "Wynn, you can trust Natsu. He's related to dragons, just like you are. Can you tell?"

The Wyvern swung his head back around, sniffing Natsu curiously. To his credit, Natsu didn't even flinch, making steady eye contact with the beast. The remained locked like that, eyes on one another, searching.

"I wonder what they're doing." Levy whispered, itching to take notes. "I've never seen two draconian species interact before."

Finally, Wynn let out a wine and bowed his head.

"What does that mean?" Gray wondered, noticing the shocked look on Rien's face.

"Th-that's the same thing he did to me when he first decided to come back with me." She revealed. "He isn't just adding Natsu to our pack, he's submitting to him."

"Aww, you don't have to do that!" Natsu laughed, putting his hand on Wynn's head. "You've been taking care of Rien for us while she was gone, so consider us even!"

A brown magic circle appeared next to Natsu's foot, unbeknownst to the dragon slayer. Rien pretended not to notice when a small vine steadily began to raise out of the ground. Wynn cocked his head to the left, the vine mimicking his movements and swatting Natsu to the side we're he fell to the ground. Most of the wizards couldn't believe it, especially when Wynn began letting out wheezes that vaguely resembled laughter. Rien remained the only one undisturbed. In fact, she was giggling right along with him.

"What, you wanna go? Because I'm all fired up!" Natsu cried, fists ignited once more. Wynn looked serious as he took a defensive stance, though the thumping of his tail gave away the fact he was enjoying it.

"Well, since you guys are getting along so well, you can fly back with Wynn and Rien. Ciao." Cana teased, heading back the way they'd came. One by one, the rest began to file out, giving Rien waves and smiles as they left until only Lucy and Natsu remained.

"Would you really let me?" Natsu asked excitedly. "Would you really let me fly on Wynn?!"

"I-I don't see why not." Rien mumbled, shyly moving her hand up and down her left forearm. "I mean, I've already taken Lucy."

"Alright! Then what are we waiting for?!" Natsu cheered, making his way towards the saddle. Lucy giggled, shooting Rien a wink as she jogged to catch up with the rest of her guildmates, leaving Rien and Natsu alone.

The brunette's heart fluttered in her chest.

She blanked.

What just happened?

 _ **End of Chapter**_

 _ **A/N: Sorry not sorry if anyone's out of character. This is my interpretation on them. Natsu might be a bit touchy feely… there are reasons for that. Anywho, I think it's about one or two more chapters before we get into another mission. It should be a fun one, and we'll learn more about Rien's background as our main cast does. What's up with Rien not liking her name? Is there really going to be a Fairy Tail book club? Find out soon!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5 - 5 Ways to Prove You Care**_

Rien was hesitant to follow Natsu, though she wasn't exactly sure why. She glanced at him. Honestly, he looked like a kid on Christmas morning at the prospect of riding the Wyvern. Thinking of it that way made her feel better about it. So, without a second thought, she grabbed the saddle and swung on.

"Y-your turn. J-just make sure you hold on, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Natsu agreed. She felt his body settle behind her and his arms slid under her own, locking around her waist. Rien gulped.

"How come you've been stuttering?" Natsu wondered suddenly. "You didn't in Gramp's or the she-demon's memories."

"I-I'm not good with people." The girl mumbled. Not wanting to discuss the topic further, she gently kicked Wynn's side. "We're ready boy. Let's go!"

Wynn roared, using his hind legs to launch himself into the air.

Rien had the same giddy feeling she always got the first time she'd left the ground. It was hard to explain in words how it felt to defy gravity this way. It was even more special because she got to do it with Wynn, and she knew the Wyvern preferred flying with her rather than alone also. She would never get over this feeling.

"ALRIGHT, THIS IS AWESOME!" Natsu whooped. He kept one arm around Rien while throwing the other into the air.

"Natsu, be careful! At least wait until we make it through the cloud cover!" Rien yelled back, a smile gracing her lips. Up in the air with Wynn like this, it was almost impossible for her to feel anything other than happiness. She was surprised how quickly Natsu settled, his grip not nearly as tight as Lucy's had been. She also felt his head swivel back and forth as he took in all the sights around them, watching Magnolia grow smaller and smaller the higher they got.

Finally, everything slowed down as Wynn broke through the clouds. The Wyvern righted himself, leaving his wings out to glide across the sky. Every so often he would give them a pump to make sure they remained at the same altitude. All around them, blue began to fade into soft orange light as the sun started to set. Rien didn't realize how late it had gotten. To be fair, she and Lucy hadn't arrived back until late afternoon.

"So." Rien bit her lip. She didn't dare try to look back at the pink haired mage. "Wh-what do you think?"

"I used to fly like this with Igneel sometimes," Natsu revealed, leaning back slightly to feel the rush of air around them. "He'd always yell at me for trying to stand up and run around while he was flying. Then one day, I wanted to know what it was like to fly myself, so I jumped off."

"Please don't do that here." Rien smiled a bit, trying to imagine a little Natsu jumping off a giant flying dragon. That sounded just like him. At least what she knew of him anyway.

"Nah, I learned my lesson. Igneel beat me over the head and made me practice my roar for five hours straight." The wizard chuckled. He leaned forward, resting his chin on Rien's shoulder. "I regretted it then, but it's fun to look back on."

"Wh-what are you-?"

"This is more comfortable." He deadpanned, adjusting his arms around her waist. Rien gulped, deciding to let him stay there.

"Neh, could you explain your magic to me?" Natsu asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, umm, sure." The brunette's eyes flashed for a moment, calculating the best explanation that Natsu would understand. "My magic lets me see possible futures, but to do that, I need information first. When it comes to natural things, like the ocean or the land in a town, it's really easy for me to learn what I need. But, when it comes to people and magic, it's a bit harder. I can sense people and magic, but that doesn't mean I suddenly know everything about them. Those kinds of things I need to learn myself in order to make my prediction more accurate. So, for example, if you wanted to know the best place to cast a line in a river to catch a salmon, I could tell you that fairly easy. But if you wanted to know which spell would be best to counter another spell, I would need to see the spell in question first and have an understanding of which spells you know and which are your strongest. By knowing which future I want or which future I want to avoid, I'm able to change certain things to make that happen. I'm not always right though. The more magic I use, the more accurate I'll be and the more information I can gather. I do have to rely on my instincts though too. Does that help?"

Natsu hummed thoughtfully. "Right now, what's the chance you'll stay in Fairy Tail?"

He watched, fascinated by the way Rien's eyes closed and her body began to glow. He thought back to what she told him. Was she using more magic to give him the best answer she could? What was going through her mind right now?

"There's a 48% chance that I'll stay, and a 52% chance that I'll leave."

"So you're more likely to leave."

"That's right." Rien agreed softly. "Right now I am. But the future can be changed. I think that's the beauty of my magic." The mage looked out at the sky, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. "Just because I saw one future today, that doesn't mean I'll see the same future tomorrow. People with foresight only have access to one of those possibilities, usually the most likely one, but I can see everything that could be. Last week, I never would have been able to predict I'd be flying here, with you and Wynn in this moment, because I didn't have the information to know that. But here we are. I can't see the future, I don't always know what will happen next and I don't want to. That's what makes life so beautiful. I feel blessed for my magic, just as it is. Even though I'm not much of a fighter, I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Can you tell me what we need to do to make you stay?" Natsu asked seriously. It would be much easier that way. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her to stay, and he'd like to know he could rely on her being there.

Rien nearly choked on the air she was breathing. Her heart painfully skipped a beat in her chest, and her face blossomed bright red.

"I-I'd r-rather not. I-I w-want my decision to feel g-genuine." The brunette inhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. "I do want to stay here Natsu. I love Fairy Tail. But I can't keep putting myself through this pain for you all, and I don't want you to feel guilty every time you look at me. If I told you what to do, then that would almost feel like me convincing myself."

"Oh well, it was worth a shot." The dragon slayer shrugged. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensations around him. He could feel the breeze caressing them as they moved through the air and each ripple of Wynn's muscles every time he flapped his wings. He felt the sunlight, the temperature cooling with the moon's rise. He could feel Rien breathing in the space between his arms along with her heartbeat through her back against his chest. With his face nearly pressed against hers, he could also feel the heat in her cheeks every time she became embarrassed. It was fascinating. Part of him found all of it a bit strange. He normally wasn't up for touching others unless it was Happy, he was comforting someone (or they him), or he was trying to drive his fist into their face. Sometimes he might drag Lucy somewhere in excitement, but not often (mostly because she'd Lucy kick him). And yet up here, with just the two of them and an endless sky, Natsu could admit to himself that he enjoyed the feeling. He didn't want her to go. It was becoming about more than just her Fairy Tail mark.

"What about a hint?"

"I guess… just keep asking questions," Rien answered. Natsu held back a smile when he felt her cheeks heat up once more. "When you try to learn more about me, it makes me feel like you care."

Natsu's arms tightened so that his 'holding on for balance' felt more like a hug. "We do care."

"I hope so." She whispered. Then, louder she added "We're almost back to the field where I leave Wynn. It's only a few minutes from Fairy Tail, but do you want me to drop you off anywhere?"

"Nah, I still have to go back to the guild and get Happy. Are you not going back?"

"I-I'm really tired. I had only just gotten back yesterday when Lucy took me for another job, and I used a lot of magic last night trying not to get stabbed. I really need some sleep."

"Can we do this again?" Natsu blurted. For the first time that day his cheeks began to heat up as well, and he quickly moved back so Rien wouldn't notice. "It's nice to be able to fly like this again."

"Of course!" Rien squeaked. "Lucy and I flew Wynn out for the mission. I thought since Gray and Lucy invited me to go on a mission with you guys, you could fly with me on Wynn while they take the train? I can't fit everyone, and I know you get motion sickness so…"

Suddenly, Rien was the most beautiful thing Natsu had ever seen.

"Yes! That'd be so awesome!" He cheered, throwing up his fist again. He put it back when he remembered how Rien scolded him before. "Can we do that?"

"Yeah! Just tell me when the mission is! And give me a few days to rest." She said happily.

"Alright! And we'll make sure it's out in the wilderness or something so Wynn can come too!" The teen added, causing Wynn to roar in approval. Rien giggled, an idea popping into her mind.

"You seem pretty comfortable up here." She noted. "So let's mix things up a little bit. Hold on tight!"

The dragon slayer only had has long as it took her to slide her goggles over her eyes to brace himself. Given the signal, Wynn suddenly began to nose dive towards the ground.

"WHOOOOOO!" Natsu yelled, laughing along with the teen in front of him. His body was pressed tightly against her, his leg muscles working overtime to keep him on the saddle. With the way the air rushed around them mixed with the feeling of defying gravity, he hardly even noticed.

"Show us what you've got Wynn!" Rien cheered, keeping her grip firm. The Wyvern snorted, pulling them up into several loopty-loops followed by a barrel roll.

"THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKIN' ABOUT! WHOOOO!" Rien laughed. Natsu's happiness was infective, and soon she was cheering right along with him.

Wynn changed course, barely keeping himself a foot above the ground. In a moment of teasing, he flipped upside down, making Rien's hair brush along the dirt.

"Hey!"

The beast cackled, righting them again and rolling into another loop. The two mages cheered.

For his grand finally, Wynn started another nosedive towards the ground, only to pull up at the last second and flip three successive loops before landing with a solid _thump_.

"Wynn, that might have been your best run yet. Showing off for someone?" Rien teased. She stayed on the saddle, waiting for her legs to not feel like jello. There was some truth to her question. She wasn't quite sure yet on what the relationship between Wynn and Natsu would be considering their dragon genetics. Her best guess, taking into account Wynn's submission followed by teasing, that Wynn at least considered Natsu to be part of their pack too.

"Aww man, it's over already." Natsu slid off first, stretching his arms above his head. "I can't wait for the chance to go up there again."

"It'll be soon. I promise." Rien said, sliding down herself. She would have fallen over if not for the wing Wynn has raised to catch her fall. "Thanks, buddy. You can go hunting now if you'd like. Stay away from farms, and I'll bring you a bunch of apples and lettuce in the morning."

Wynn bobbed his head, purring from the back of his throat. He bumped his forehead once against Rien's, followed by once to Natsu, then took off into the sky.

"I wish I had a house somewhere close to here," Rien said longingly. "Guess I didn't take into consideration I'd be taming a Wyvern when I signed the apartment agreement."

"Happy and I live out in the woods. We have a small house we built there, just the two of us. Wynn can stop by anytime he wants." Natsu offered. Rien looked surprised.

"Really? Y-you don't mind?"

"Course not! Wynn's cool! Besides, it'll give me someone to train with!" Natsu reasoned, an open smirk on his face. "I owe him for knockin' me with those vines."

"Yeah." Rien yawned, trying to cover it with her hand. "Well, umm, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You better." Natsu teased, ruffling her hair. Rien huffed, secretly enjoying the easy-going manner that was forming between them.

With a wave and a silent promise, the two headed their separate ways.

* * *

Rien woke up early the next morning to go shopping at the market, seeing as she had no food after being gone for so long. She made sure to buy Wynn his promised apples along with a variety of other vegetables and fruits, grabbing only a few necessities for herself. Most of the time she ate at the guild, but she decided today it'd be nice to cook her own food in an actual kitchen as opposed to over an open fire.

Since she wasn't planning to go anywhere other than the guild today, Rien decided to dress comfortably. She wore a soft beige sweater with a v-neck that fell off one of her shoulders, red shorts, black knee-high socks, her Timberland boots, and a red bandana tied with a bow in her hair. She had a small maroon messenger bag that rested on her hip for her essentials, such as her keys, wallet, phone lacrima, goggles (in case she and Wynn did more tricks), an organizer, a hairbrush, and a few products just in case she'd need them. Rien woke up feeling both nervous and excited. She didn't know how the day was going to go today, and she refused to look forward to find out. Still, she may have been stalling going to the guild, if only to calm herself a bit. Yesterday had been a lot. Not to mention, every time she thought of Natsu and their flight together, her heart began to beat faster and her cheeks would take on a pink tint that she was entirely not okay with. What was going on? She'd been helping Natsu in the background for years, yet she'd never felt like this before.

Speaking of…

"NATSU, HAPPY, STOP EATING ALL MY FOOD! LUCY KIICCKKK~!"

Rien's eyes flashed. She saw Natsu and happy flying down the outdoor stairs that lead to Lucy's apartment, knocking all of her groceries to the ground in the process. The brunette felt bad as she sidestepped out of the way. Maybe she could have tried to catch them or something, but she didn't really feel like going shopping again. They'd be fine, right?

"OW!" Natsu yelled, his back hitting the pavement. Happy followed, whimpering on the ground.

"Lushy's so mean~"

"Umm, h-hi!" Rien squeaked. If she had a free arm, she would have helped them up.

"Hey, it's Rien!" Natsu exclaimed, jumping off the ground. Happy shot up and flew to her chest, wrapping his stubby arms around her neck.

"WAAAH. REI-CHAN! I'M SO SORRY FOR IGNORING YOU! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU!"

"I-It's okay Happy. Please don't cry. I already forgave you."

"R-really?" The exceed sniffed. He pulled his head back, revealing the tears in his overly-large eyes. "Does that mean you'll stay?"

"W-well I- I don't know yet." It was the best answer she could give. She didn't want to lie to the cat, and she wasn't ready to commit to a decision yet either.

"But-!"

"It's okay Happy." Natsu comforted, patting his friend on the head. "Just because she's not sure today, doesn't mean we can't change her mind tomorrow!"

Rien blushed. That sounded a lot like what she'd told him about her magic yesterday.

"Okay, so we'll be sure to change your mind!" Happy promised, floating back. Finally, he seemed to notice the food in her arms. "What's that?"

"Groceries. I just got back from a long mission. I didn't exactly have any food in my house." She said awkwardly.

"We can help you carry them back to your apartment." Natsu offered with a grin. Rien wasn't sure if she loved or hated his smile. It did strange things to her.

"Th-that's alright. W-we're already here. I live below Lucy."

"What?! I wanna live below Lushy!" Happy cried in jealousy. "No fair!"

"What're you guys- oh, Rien! No wonder they haven't come crawling back up yet." Lucy poked her head out the door. "Beware. Now that they know you live here, they might eat all your food too. They just took my breakfast." The blonde groaned.

"O-Oh. W-would you like to have breakfast with me then Lucy? I can cook for one more. And then you could accompany me to see Wynn if you'd like."

"Really? You're the best!"

"Hey, what about us?" Natsu pouted. Rien tried to focus on her bags instead of making eye contact. Her eyes flashed. If she also fed Happy and Natsu, she'd have to go back to the market again in two days. She hated shopping, but she didn't want to let them down either…

"You're not invited! You literally just ate all my food! How can you even be hungry?!"

"But Luce, how are we going to convince Rei to stay if we don't spend any time with her?" Natsu argued. Happy nodded along.

"True, true. If it's for the sake of Rei, I could eat again."

' _Rei? Are they giving me a nickname?'_ The brunette wondered.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID CAT! AND THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR YOU NATSU! BUY ME MORE FOOD FIRST!"

"Can't we at least see Rei's apartment~?" Natsu whined, trying to give Lucy a puppy dog look. The blonde remained unphased.

"I-It's alright. They can come in." Rien offered. "I don't mind."

"Sweet! Thanks Rei!" Natsu grinned, taking off with Happy for her front door.

"I-"

"They have a way of doing that." Lucy sighed, taking one of the bag from Rien's arms. "Here. Do you want any help with cooking?"

"That's alright, I think I can manage." The brunette declined. Natsu and Happy moved out of the way for Rien to unlock the door, then made sure they were the first inside.

"Whooaaa. It looks different than Lucy's." Happy noted.

All the walls in the apartment were beige. In the far corner where Lucy normal kept her vanity Rien had placed white L shaped couch that stretched past the window on the other wall. It sat atop a red area rug with an oval glass coffee table that had a little bamboo plant in the center. At its angle, anyone sitting there would easily be able to watch the wall-mounted flat screen above the doorway. On the other wall next to the door was a white table hanging off the wall that could be propped down if Rien needed, with wooden chairs painted white hanging from the wall on either side of it. On the wall where Lucy's bed would be was what looked like a large white cabinet with shelves below the two main doors. Beside that was another shelf, this one filled with books. There were white shelves between the bathroom and kitchen doors with a variety of trinkets and such resting on them. Between the kitchen table and the bathroom door pushed against the wall was a black desk with a cushioned wheely chair. Finally, in the center of the room was a large red pillow.

"Do you have a bed?" Natsu asked, curiously poking around the room.

"Yeah- just, give me a sec." Rien muttered. She balanced the groceries on her hip, using her free hand to unlatch the table from the wall. It was free hanging, meaning there were no legs to connect it with the floor. Rien huffed as she put her grocery bag on the table, gesturing for Lucy to do the same. Then she started taking the chairs off the wall hook, setting them up around the table. The blonde mage followed her lead, taking down the two chairs from her side and setting those up as well.

"Thanks Lucy." Rien smiled warmly. She made her way over to the white cabinet and pulled on the handles. Rather than two opening doors, one large door pulled down, which turned out to be the platform that her bed was resting on. It was decorated with a white comforter that had red and black watercolor flowers on it, and red and black pillows at the head. "This is called a wall bed. I pull the bed down when I'm sleeping, and I put it up during the day so I have more space."

To demonstrate, Rien grabbed the edge of the bed and pushed it back up, making it look like a cabinet once more.

" **Cool~"** Natsu and Happy spoke, poking around to see if they could figure out how it worked. Rien also had a lot of wall decorations, including the map she'd made which was put up above the shelfs between the bathroom and kitchen. Lucy noted that she didn't have any pictures of people. She'd have to fix that.

"The red cushion is where I meditate." The brunette explained. "It helps me focus my magic. Feel free to sit at the couch or the table, I'll just be a few minutes."

Rien felt content leaving the three in her main living area while she ducked into the small kitchen with her grocery bags, which was barely bigger than the bathroom. Not that she cooked often. Actually, this was the first time she'd had anyone other than Mira over. It was nice.

The brunette half listened to the conversations going on, which basically consisted of Natsu and Happy trying to look at stuff while Lucy was trying to keep them from breaking anything. Rien unpacked quickly, using an old crate that she kept as a footstool to put Wynn's food in. Once that was done, she started making breakfast, which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a fruit mix with strawberries, melons, and pineapple. The mage started singing quietly to herself as she cooked.

" _I am not a stranger to the dark_

 _Hide away they say_

' _Cause we don't want your broken parts_

 _I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars_

 _Run away, they say_

 _No one'll love you as you are_

 _But I won't let them break me down to dust_

 _I know that there's a place for us_

 _For we are glorious_

 _When the sharpest words wanna cut me down_

 _I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out_

 _I am brave, I am bruised_

 _I am who I'm meant to be, this is me"_

"You have a really pretty voice."

Rien squeaked, almost dropping her spatula into the eggs he was cooking. The girl whirled around, seeing Natsu with his arms crossed, leaning in the doorway.

"S-sorry, was I singing loudly?"

"Dragon slayer hearing." He corrected. "Lucy and Happy didn't hear a thing."

Rien sighed with relief. "Good."

"How come? Even though the song was sad, your voice still sounded beautiful."

"Sad?" The brunette questioned, going back to sturing the eggs so as not to look at him. "I didn't mean for it to be sad."

"But you talked about being broken and alone."

"Alone isn't always bad." Rien defended in a small voice. "The song is about being unapologetically you, even if it causes others to ignore and reject you. For everyone who hates you, there's another one who accepts you and one day, you'll find the place where you belong."

Natsu was quiet after that, but Rien could still feel his presence behind her. He was just standing there, watching her. It was weird. A shiver rolled through her, but she did her best to remain vigilant and seem unbothered by his presence. Rien knocked the eggs out of her pan and into a serving dish, placed the bacon on a plate, and grabbed another bowl for the fruit. She also took four plates and four forks from the cabinet.

"Would you mind helping me with this?" She asked, applauding herself for not stuttering. Natsu came up and grabbed the bowls with the eggs and fruit, leaving Rien to carry the bacon and plates. She placed the bacon plate on the top of the stack, using her free hand to carry the cups and forks.

"Breakfast is ready!" She called, bringing everything over. Natsu set his items down on the table, helping Rien pass out the plates. Lucy sat on one side of the table, Happy beside her, leaving Rien and Natsu next to one another on the side opposite the wall.

"C-can I get any drinks? I have milk, water, and soda."

"Aww, Rien, you didn't have to do all this!" Lucy cooed. The brunette could tell by the sound of her voice she was extremely pleased. "Can I have milk please?"

"Me too!" Happy added.

"I'll have a soda." Natsu spoke.

"Okay, let me grab those." Rien took her own cup to fill with water. She came back a few moments later with the milk jug, soda, and a small bowl of cheese she had grated for the eggs, warming at the sight of everyone putting together plates at her kitchen table. She joined them, feeling slightly nervous about taking her seat.

"Thish is so goosh!" Natsu complimented between bites, barely reacting to Lucy scolding him for talking with his mouth open. Happy agreed, also receiving scolding for his rude behavior.

Rien ate happily among the others, enjoying the way they would tease and speak with one another. They did their best to bring Rien into the conversation, asking her for her opinion and fitting in questions when they could. The brunette hardly minded.

It was the first time she'd had more than one person over at her house, and the first time she'd felt such peace and inclusion with her guildmates.

She could get used to this.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Just a quick pronunciation check. Rien is still pronounced (Ree-En), but her nickname is Rei like (ray). I thought it sounded better than calling her (Ree). Just for future reference in case you think I'm spelling my characters name wrong :)**_

 _ **Also, for anyone who's wondering why Rien could forsee Natsu and and Happy flying down the stairs, in a similar way to how she sensed the world around her for the archive mission to know where the thief was standing, Rien could sense who was in the apartment, which was Lucy's. The form of Happy would have given away that it was him and Natsu (I imagine it an infrared camera detecting objects rather than just heat). From there, she could see the way Lucy's leg kicked, and her magic rapidly calculated the 'flight' path the two boys would be taking, leading her to know that they would knock her groceries out of her hands if she didn't step out of the way. Since this prediction has nothing to do with magic or Natsu and Lucy as people, it was easy to make. This is also how Rien is able to dodge attacks before they happen. She's not seeing the future as much as she's sensing body movement and calculating where the hit will be placed. In addition, because she's using magic, she'll be able to notice the slightest changes that others might not see. I hope that helps!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6 ~ 6 Ways to be a Barmaid**_

Rien didn't have as much time as she would have liked to spend with Wynn. She decided she'd have to talk to Master Makarov about whether or not Wynn would be allowed in the backyard of the guild. After all, during her mission, they'd spent almost every moment together, so it was weird to be apart so often.

Rien arrived at the guild before Lucy and Natsu. Apparently, Lucy had decided to drag Natsu and Happy to the market by their ears, promising she would meet up with Rien once Natsu had paid to restock her kitchen cabinets.

The brunette snuck inside quickly and made a beeline for the back before anyone could spot her. So maybe she wasn't as ready for the day as she'd thought.

"Rien, there you are! Did you just crawl back here?" Mirajane asked, a friendly yet menacing smile on her face.

"Umm, y-yes?"

"How is anyone going to say hi to you if you hide from them?"

"W-Well I-"

"Here, you can bring all these plates out. I'm sure you know who ordered what. Also, Erza was waiting for you. She wants to start helping out as soon as possible, as per your agreement."

"Wai-" Rien was ignored as Mirajane shoved a giant tray with all the orders into her arms.

And Fairy Tail had just started another brawl.

The brunette groaned, her body taking on a red aura as she timidly walked out. She made her way over to Cana first, dropping off a giant beer.

"Hey, there you are shorty! Thanks." The woman grinned, bringing her drink to her lip. She would have spoken back, but then there was a chair being flung in her direction. Rien jumped, keeping her serving arm straight so as to not spill anything. She twisted the rest of her body backward, landing a flip onto one of the empty barrels of alcohol near where Cana had been sitting. The chair continued its path, shattering against the back wall.

"Whoa." Cana murmured, looking at Rien in awe. In a bold move, Rien shot her a wink before moving onto the next customer.

Next up, she needed to bring the cake to Erza. The woman was sitting at the counter on the other side of the guild, seeming to ignore the chaos around her as she read a report from her latest mission. Right then. Rien jumped off the counter, landing onto another table where Macao and Wakaba were sitting. The girl leaned back, balancing her weight on one leg and lifting the other so that her body was parallel to the floor. She held the tray back above her head, just in time for Jet to go sailing over her, only inches from hitting her stomach. The girl popped back up, noting with glee that she had an order of steak and eggs for each man at the table. She dropped them off, smiling at the two who were too awestruck to say anything.

Onwards to Erza.

Rien jumped off the table, letting her feet hit the floor. She leaned left, avoiding an ice hammer that had been thrown by Gray. Then she continued on, using a one-handed cartwheel to dodge when Elfman rushed by her, ready to pummel Droy into the ground. All the while, Erza's cake remained on the tray. Rien stood up, quickly throwing herself into a split when a barrel came flying at her. The girl righted herself, finally reaching Erza.

"G-Goodmorning Erza. I-I b-brought you cake."

"Rien, there you are." Erza stood, placing a hand over her heart and bowing to the younger girl. "I am ready to start working."

"W-well, eat your c-cake first wh-while I d-d-drop off this last drink. I-It's really important n-not to sp-spill anything!" She advised, placing Erza's cake down. All that was left on the tray was a cherry soda for Bixlow, and she refused to spill it damn it. So when Natsu came flying towards them, fist encased in fire (she was surprised he'd made it to the guild so quickly) she placed a hand on his shoulder, pushed down, and _leaped_ over him, swinging her legs forward once she cleared his head and landed on the ground behind him.

"S-sorry Natsu!" She apologized. Gray came flying at them next, leading her to backflip onto the bar top.

"Natsu, Gray~" Erza growled, looking every bit ready to rip the two to shreds. They gulped.

"I-It's alright. Don't worry, I haven't spilled a drop, see?" The three's jaws dropped in shock when they realized it was true. Through all of this, Rien hadn't lost even a bit of Bixlow drink.

"My magic." She explained, pointing out the red glow that was still around her. "J-just a moment, please.

Rien turned away, getting a running start across the bar counter. She jumped, grasping onto a small ridge in the wall. From there she kicked off again, launching herself against one of the wooden poles that held up the guild building. With one more powerful kick, she was high enough to grab onto one of the rafters with her free hand. The girl stayed there for a moment, taking a breath while adjusting her hand under the tray. When she was ready, she began swinging her legs, gaining momentum as she moved back and forth. Finally, she let go, launching herself over to the next beam. The small brunette repeated this process several times, keeping above the fight until she landed on the railing of the second floor where Bixlow sat with Freed and his babies.

"H-hello. Y-you ordered a cherry soda?" She asked, hopping down. Freed was staring at her with wide eyes while Bixlow began to bellow loudly.

"H-Holy shit!" He laughed, throwing up his hands. "That was incredible!"

" _Incredible, Incredible!"_ His spirits repeated.

"Th-thank you." Rien blushed, placing down the drink. She waved goodbye to the two, letting go of her spell and choosing the safe route of jogging down the stairs, not noticing the sudden quiet until she reached the bottom. The fighting had stopped, leaving the entire guild staring at her. Rien's face flushed.

"D-did I miss something?"

"Miss something? You just fuckin' parkoured you way across the guild like it was nothin'." Gajeel bellowed, falling back into his seat. "I've seen a lot of shit, but I ain't ever seen anything like _that_."

"I-I do gymnastics?" She offered her explanation like it was a question.

"Neh, Rei-chan, could you teach me how to do that?" Levy asked with excitement. The brunette smiled softly.

"W-Well, it takes a lot of tr-training, but I wouldn't mind helping you out."

"How the hell have we not noticed you before?" Gray asked with awe. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"R-Right! W-well I'll be in the back with Mira if anyone needs anything. Bye!" Rien shouted, running back to the safety of the kitchen. She was greeted by Mira's giggle.

"Sounds like that went pretty well."

"You knew this was going to happen."

"Says the probability mage."

Rien opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with a counter-argument. What could she say? It's not like she'd ever done something like that in the guild before to draw data from.

"Rien?" Erza called, poking her head in the door. "Shall we start my barmaid training?"

"Oh, umm, y-yes, of course. P-please c-come in."

"Why are you stuttering?" Erza asked softly, closing the door behind her. "Is it that you're afraid of me?"

"N-no! Th-that's not it at all!" The brunette exclaimed, shaking her hands in front of her. She didn't think she could speak anymore without choking .

"Rien gets shy around people she doesn't know well, but she finds it especially hard to talk around girls she thinks are more beautiful than her. Right, Rien?"

The mage could only nod, her face entirely red.

Erza blushed. "Erm, thank you. But please, try to speak normally around me, alright?"

"I-I'll try."

"Now then, what shall I do first?"

"First things first, you should change out of your armor." Mira teased, rapping on the metal with her knuckle. "You won't need it for this."

"I suppose you're right." The knight agreed. " **Requip!"**

Rien loved seeing Erza's magic in action. Just like that, Erza went from wearing her normal armor to a black lolita dress with overly large sleeves and white ruffles on her chest. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, contained with a large black bow. She also had black boots on her feet. Rien thought the look was adorable.

"Here," Rien spoke, holding out an apron. While Erza was changing, she'd tied her own around her waist, looping it around to the front.

"Will we be getting messy? Mira doesn't wear an apron."

"I do when I'm cooking." The maid revealed. "But I take it off to serve. It gets in the way of my dress."

"I usually leave mine on. No one really notices anyway." Rien said casually, not realizing how her statement had caused both Erza and Mira to flinch.

"Anyway, Mira will get started on lunch prep while I prepare the special dessert of the day. I think we said chocolate cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting, right?"

"You got it!"

"C-could I help with the cake?" Erza asked, looking slightly nervous. Her fists were clutching at the edge of her dress.

"Oh, i-if you'd like. I have the recipe book right here." Rien offered. "I'll leave it to you."

"You're not going to help?" The red-haired mage asked. Rien smiled. It was sweet that Erza was nervous, and it helped her get past her own feelings of nervousness as well.

"No. I think you can handle it. If you have any questions, just ask Mira or I."

"You don't want to use your magic to make sure I'll succeed?"

The younger girl shook her head. "No. Life wouldn't be nearly as exciting if I always knew what was going to happen. Don't worry Erza. If you fail, Mira and I will help you fix it. I think you might just surprise yourself."

"Thank you for entrusting me with this. I will do my best." Erza assured. Rien sweatdropped.

"I-It's just cake."

"Erza loves being useful to the guild," Mira whispered with a smile. "Let her have this."

"Sure. I can do lunch prep then if you want to take orders?"

"Nah, I think you should take orders."

"B-but you're better at talking to people than I am…"

"Practice makes perfect!"

Rien, realizing there was really nothing she could do about it, moved to the open wall next to the bar. This way, she was still close enough to Erza while also giving her space to work on her own. Lucy was sitting there with Levy, talking about something she was writing while Happy ate a fish next to Natsu. Feeling that it would be pointless to make unnecessary conversation, Rien grabbed one of the newer beer mugs and began shining it with a cloth. Drinking in Fairy Tail usually started sometime after 4 pm unless you were Cana, in which case the drinking was continuous.

As she worked, Rien's tongue poked through her teeth in concentration. There was a smudge that she just couldn't seem to get rid of. Suddenly, she felt eyes on her. She tried to ignore them at first, but she felt like they were somehow penetrating through her to her soul. The girl shivered. A few moments later, when she couldn't bear it anymore, she looked up to meet Natsu's gaze. Pink immediately filled her cheeks.

"I-is something wrong?"

"No." He answered casually, continuing to study her. Rien waited to see if he'd say anything else, but the dragon slayer remained silent. She gulped.

"H-how was shopping with Lucy?" She tried. Natsu's nose wrinkled.

"Awful. She dragged us all over the place and wouldn't let us leave until we got to the register and paid for it."

"That's typically how shopping works."

Natsu raised an eyebrow while Rien's eyes popped at her own comment. Oh gosh, that had been so rude. Should she apologize? She opened her mouth, ready to say whatever it took for the fire mage to forgive her, only to be cut off by his laughter.

"You know, you can be pretty funny when you want to be!" Natsu grinned, his fangs peeking out. "You should speak more often."

Rien squeaked, looking down at the glass she'd been working on like it was the most amazing thing in the world and continued shining with renewed vigor.

"Oi, Flamebrain, if you take up all of her time, then Rien will definitely leave!" Gray taunted, making his way over to them. Natsu jumped out of his seat.

"You wanna go Ice Princess?!"

"Bring it on Fire Freak!"

"R-rien, how do I work this contraption?!"

The brunette turned, noticing the mixer that Erza had accidentally turned on high, which began flinging dry flour and sugar into the air. Rien's eyes flashed, and in the next moment, she had leaped forward, tackling Erza to the ground. At the same time, Natsu's flaming fist drew black, igniting the flour in the air which burst into a gigantic fireball in the kitchen.

" **NATSU!"** Lucy, Levy, and Mira shrieked. Rien rolled off Erza as soon as the heat settled and landed on her back in a layer of flour on the floor. Luckily nothing else caught on fire, but there were scorch marks on the walls and the counter.

"What just happened?" Erza asked in a state of shock, remaining next to Rien on the floor.

"Flour is-pft- flour is really-haha- it's really flammable! Hahaha!" Rien broke out into a fit of loud, uncontrollable laughter. Her hands went around her waist, trying to keep herself her composure, yet for the life of her, she couldn't stop laughing. The sound echoed through the kitchen and into the main guild hall. It was the sound of pure, uncontained joy. Rien sucked in a breath, hoping to get herself together, only to burst into another fit of giggles. Oh Mavis, the whole situation was too much!

Soon, the rest of Fairy tail began laughing along with her. It had been pretty funny, especially mixed with the shocked horror that covered Mira, Lucy, and Levy's faces. Even Natsu and Gray were laughing.

* * *

Up in his office, Makarov heard Rien's laughter, followed by the rest of the guild. Never in the four years that he'd known her had he heard Rien laugh so hard. Tears of joy streamed down his face.

' _There you are Rien. Finally.'_

* * *

"Whew, okay. Haha. Let's get-haha-let's get back to work."

"I am so sorry for messing up the cake," Erza muttered. She was on her knees again, face hidden by her bangs. "Please punish me however you deem necessary."

Rien reached out, placing a hand on the elder's shoulder. "It's okay Erza, it was an accident. They happen all the time. If you really want a punishment, then why don't you help Mira clean all this up and I'll measure out the ingredients for you so we can try again, okay?"

Erza looked up, making eye contact with the probability mage. Her eyes were gentle and kind, a small smile on her lips. She felt her heart swell in her chests. Rien wasn't just Fairy Tail, she was a friend too. Erza had decided. She stood up, clenching a fist determinedly at her chest.

"Mira, we have cleaning to do."

For the rest of the afternoon, the three girls worked hard together to get all the orders done. Rien prepped all the ingredients for Erza and showed her how to use the tools, checking her work after each step as a way of reassuring the redhead everything she was doing was right. She was also putting together sandwiches and other meals for Mira to deliver. By the time the cake was done, word had gotten around that Titania herself had made it, and everyone wanted a slice. Luckily, Rien had foreseen this and helped Erza put together five cakes instead of one. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed them, and at the end of the afternoon shift, Rien and Erza were exhausted.

"Well, I think that's enough for today Erza." Rien smiled, removing her dirty apron. She hung it on a peg by the door. "If you're available tomorrow, we can do it again then too." After many hours of working together, Rien had finally started to lose her stutter around the S-class mage.

"What about the dinner rush?" Erza wondered.

"That's Lisanna's shift this week. Besides, if you think this was hard, try tending to everyone's drinks. Despite popular belief, they don't all just appear like magic."

"I see. If you say we're done, then I will follow your word." The redhead copied Rien, taking off her apron and placing it on the peg.

"I'm going to go say hi to the master before I go. See you tomorrow Erza!" Rien called, jogging out the door. She did her best to ignore any looks her way while she headed up the stairs and knocked on the Master's door.

"Master Makarov, it's me," Rien called, folding her hands behind her back.

"Come in."

The brunette pushed on the door, making her way into the familiar office. The only other guild member who spent more time in here than her other than the master was probably Laxus. Rien felt a sense of comfort from the room, taking a seat in her usual chair next to Makarov's desk.

"How have you been my child, busy I hear? Something about swinging across the rafters?"

"I didn't break anything if that's what you're asking. Quite the opposite actually. Everyone's orders were delivered safe and sound."

"And how did Erza do?"

"It was a little difficult at first. Her brute strength doesn't work super well with baking, but I think she got the hang of it in the end. She'll only do better from here. For six more days anyway."

"What about you? How have things been?"

Rien nervously twiddled her thumbs. "I'm not used to all the attention I've been getting. I feel like a zoo exhibit with the way everyone's been staring at me. I do appreciate that they're trying though. It's been nice to actually talk to Levy instead of leaving her books, and Lucy and Natsu have been putting in a lot of effort too. A little too much honestly."

"No amount of effort is too much when it comes to matters of family," Makarov advised, settling back in his seat. He stayed silent for a few moments, letting Rien mull over that in her head.

"I am glad you came up here. I have a job I'd like you to take."

"M-me?" Rien asked, pointing to herself. "Wouldn't one of the S-class mages be better for something like that?"

"Laxus is out on another job, but that's beside the point. This mission requires precision and foresight, both of which you have."

"I see." She muttered, growing serious. "What does it entail?"

"Recently, a man calling himself the Gamemaster has been attacking wizards at random while they are out on different jobs," Makarov explained. "They say at the end of the game, he collects their magic and moves on, leaving them unable to use it."

"Stealing other's magic that way isn't possible. It can be copied, but not removed. Perhaps he's putting a block on them somehow?"

"I thought the same thing." Makarov agreed. "This has become a problem for multiple guilds now. Mages who have fallen victim to these attacks report that he pulls them into a game consisting of three rounds, each harder than the last. Should they fail any round, they'll lose the game and their magic is stolen. Almost no one has reached the 3rd game. Sometimes, he takes them on in groups as well, yet it never makes a difference."

"I see. And you think my magic will give me an advantage against his games?"

"I know it will."

Rien exhaled slowly. "I'll need all the reports you have on the Gamemaster. I need all the data I can collect before I leave. How will I find him?"

"From what I've heard, he'll find you."

"I'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to send you out so soon." The old man sighed, holding out a file which Rien took gently in her hand. The brunette nodded to him, preparing to take her to leave.

"And Rien?"

"Yes, Master?"

"I'd like you to take a team with you. I don't mind who as long as you don't go alone."

"Yes Master."

* * *

Rien made her way out to the field, whistle between her lips as she looked over the Gamemasters file. A lot of games seemed like they should be a matter of luck and skill, and yet the Gamemaster always won. Well, she'd have to see how well he did against her magic then. Luck was right up her alley.

Wynn flew down to meet Rien in the field, letting the girl leaning against his side as she continued reading. Since she would be flying him out tomorrow, she figured it was best to let him rest. According to the reports, it seemed like she would be most likely to find this man somewhere around the coastal town of Persimineon.

"Looks like it's just you and me again Wynn," Rien spoke, scratching the Wyvern's leg. She knew Master wanted her to bring a team, but there were teams in Fairy Tail made up of just two people. Besides, Wynn was a beast that also used Earth Magic. She was sure they would be just fine.

"It'll be nice to catch a break." The girl added thoughtfully. She appreciates everyone's effort, truly. It was just a bit… suffocating is all.

A few days away would do her some good.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yes, I am aware that it's physically impossible for Rien not to have dropped anything. I like to think of her as a blend of Ty Lee from ATLA and Sebastian from Black Butler. Crazy gymnastics with the ability to do things that should be impossible perfectly. It's part of her magic. I'll give her actual spells in the arc to come, no need to worry. Things are starting to get exciting! Yay!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7 ~ 7 Ways to Join a Mission Uninvited**_

" _Man, how much longer is she going to sleep?"_

" _I will punish you if you dare wake her before she's ready."_

" _You know, I kinda get why you guys sneak in sometimes. It's a little fun, I'll admit."_

" _Does that mean you won't kick us out next time?"_

" _I'M NOT GIVING YOU PERMISSION!"_

" _SHHHHHH!"_

Rien woke up to the sound of voices in her home. She kept her eyes closed, hoping they would still think her sleeping long enough for her to figure out who was there and possibly fight them off.

Four people, one flying cat.

They had to be kidding.

The girl sat up in bed, shading her eyes from the harsh light as she took in the 'intruders' in her apartment. Gray was lounging on the longest part of the couch while Lucy was reading a book on the other, Natsu and Happy had brought her kitchen table down to play cards, and Erza was inspecting all the trinkets and pictures on her wall.

"Umm, wh-what are you all doing here?"

Finally noticing she was awake, the five stopped what they were doing to look at her.

"Master said you were trying to go on a mission on your own even though he asked you to invite a team, so we decided to accompany you," Erza explained, coming to stand at the end of the bed. In her hands, she had the clothes that Rien liked to wear out on jobs. The brunette took them carefully.

"I was going to bring Wynn."

"That's not a team." Gray scoffed.

"Natsu and Happy were a team."

"But then we added Lushy and Erza and Gray, so it wasn't just us!" The cat explained.

"We already said we wanted to go on a mission with you, I don't see the problem," Gray added. Rien sighed, dragging a hand down her face.

"This mission will be more successful if I take it on my own. It's about games and probability. I'm the only one here who has an advantage in those areas."

"No way!" Natsu argued, jumping from his seat. "We're all members of Fairy Tail. When we fight together, we can't be beaten!"

"C'mon Rien, what's the harm?" Lucy asked, closing her book. "We're a family. We win together or we lose together."

"Your magic. That's what's at stake."

"Wh-what do you mean?" The blonde questioned, her hand falling to the keys at her hip. Rien's eyes narrowed. They needed to understand why she was taking this job alone. Her eyes flashed.

"Everyone who's played the game and lost has also lost the ability to use their magic. That's the stake I'm putting up. I'm willing to risk it if it means helping everyone who's lost theirs, but are you? Can you really say that you'd be okay with never being able to summon your keys again? If we lose, you'll lose all your contracts with your celestial spirits."

Lucy gasped, holding one hand over her keys and the other over her heart.

"Erza, you don't even change clothing without using your requip magic. Not to mention, if you lose your magic here, you won't be strong enough to protect the guild later on."

The red-haired mage looked down, narrowing her eyes at the floor.

"Gray, your life is guided by your magic. I know you have big dreams, dreams that you can only accomplish so long as you can use your 'ice make' spells. Are you prepared for a life where you don't have them?"

Gray grit his teeth.

"And Natsu. Your magic is your last connection to your father Igneel. If we lose, that's gone. All those hours of training with him will have been for nothing. Can you really say that you would be okay with that?"

Rien looked over all the mages, letting her words sink in. "There's a famous saying. _He who fights and runs_ away _may live to fight another day._ I can tell you right now that Fairy Tail will have tough battles ahead. They always do. And you all need to be there to fight them. If I lose my magic, that barely makes a dent, but you are Fairy Tail's heaviest and strongest fighters. You shine a light on them in their darkest moments. They need you, which is why I'm going alone."

Silence.

"You know, you almost had me there," Natsu said. The air around him was heavy as his onyx eyes bore into Rien's burgundy ones.

"Wh-what d'you-"

"You're right. Fairy Tail does need us to fight for it. But there's one thing your forgetting."

"A-and what's that?" There couldn't be. She'd calculated correctly, she knew it. This should have worked.

"You're Fairy Tail too."

"Fairy Tail isn't just a guild name," Lucy added softly. She made her way over to the bed, sitting on the side and grabbing Rien's hand. "It's the people. We risk our lives all the time for one another, and we do it at a moments notice. That includes you Rien."

"I vowed to protect my guild." Erza reminded.

"Hell, I'd rather risk my life for you than Flame Brain over there," Gray smirked, jabbing his finger at Natsu. The Pinkett growled, though for once didn't act out, instead keeping his eyes on Rien.

"You're being irrational! I make up less than 1% of the guild. There's no contest here! Save your magic for the rest of them!"

"Fairy Tail has never been rational." Lucy laughed. "This is nothing."

"You are more than a number," Erza said seriously.

"And you're all insane!" Rien threw up her hands. "I'm gonna give you a minute to think about this while I go get dressed." The brunette was clearly upset, jumping from her bed and rushing to the bathroom.

"We're not going to change our minds!" Gray called as the door shut behind her.

Rien dressed quickly, sliding into her corset with practiced eased. She replayed their words in her mind.

Well, she wasn't giving them a choice.

Rien let her magic envelop her. There was a window next to the shower, and since she was on the bottom floor, it wouldn't be difficult to jump out of. She also knew she needed to be quiet, Natsu would hear her otherwise.

" **Variable Manipulation: Silence"**

Everything Rien came into contact with automatically lost the ability to produce sound. The brunette reached out carefully, opening the window next to the shower. Due to never being opened and the rotting wood around the frame, there should have been some kind of noise, and yet there was nothing. Rien used the toilet as a boost, quietly slipping outside. The girl bit her lip so as not to cheer from her success. She took care to shut the window behind her, knowing it would delay the time it took them to figure out how she'd escaped.

Rien released her magic and turned, sprinting down the road towards the field.

But before she'd even made it 15 yards, strong arms wrapped around her torso, lifting her from the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" Crap.

"N-Natsu, put me down!"

"No." He answered. The way he was holding her she was pressed against his chest from behind, with her feet dangling a few inches off the ground. The more she squirmed, the tighter his grip became.

"That was a dirty trick." Gray accused as the other four made it over to them. "You really would have had us if it wasn't for Natsu. We didn't even know something was wrong until he burst out the front door."

"This shouldn't be possible. I manipulated my movements. Everything was silent."

"I could smell your scent getting farther away," Natsu explained. His grip remained firm.

Rien hung her head. "I guess I need to learn more about Dragon Slayers then."

"Well, since that's settled, we should get going!" Lucy cheered, pretending there was nothing wrong with the situation. "Just tell us where to meet you guys."

"Y-you guys?"

"You told Natsu he could ride with you to avoid motion sickness, did you not?" Erza reminded.

"Well, I guess I did…"

"And it's not like we can let you go on your own since you might try to mislead us again." Gray jumped in, hands in his pants pockets (though he was missing his shirt).

Rien's eyes flashed. Even if she ditched them here, Lucy would just use Pyxis to find her again. At this point, fighting wasn't worth it. There was only a 17% chance left that she would be able to start the mission on her own.

"Fine. You win. I know when I'm beaten. I still think this is completely illogical though."

"Too bad, because we're coming." Natsu reaffirmed.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks." She snapped back. "I decided the best location to cross paths with the Gamemaster would be in the woods just outside Persimineon. If you take the train, Natsu and I will meet you at the train station when it arrives."

"Good, we'll see you soon then." Erza agreed. She, along with Lucy, Gray, and Happy left to gather their things, leaving Natsu holding Rien in the middle of the street.

"Natsu, you can let me down now."

"How do I know you won't run?"

"What would be the point? They already know where to meet us, you could just join them. And I'm not that cruel that I would condemn you to motion sickness in some form of petty revenge."

Natsu didn't move, seeming to mull over his options. Rien's eyes flashed as she looked for a way to convince Natsu to let her down. It was highly unlikely that words alone would do the trick, but the best option she could come up with caused her to blush heavily.

"Wh-what if you h-hold m-my hand?"

Natsu contemplated this seriously, Rien biting her lip. She really wasn't sure if she wanted this to work or not. On the one hand, it would give her free rein of her legs and she wouldn't have to be carried through Magnolia like a child. On the other, she would be holding hands with Natsu…

"It's a deal." He said at last, placing Rien back on her feet. Rien took a deep breath, trying to catch her bearings. Any progress she made was immediately lost when she felt Natsu's fingers lace through her own.

"Let's get going. At this rate, they'll beat us to the town."

"Actually, traveling on Wynn will have us arriving almost two hours earlier than the train. Two minutes will hardly make a difference." The brunette disputed, beginning to walk. Natsu was staying close to make sure she didn't run off, but she could tell by the looks and giggles they were getting as they made their way through town that people thought they were a couple. It made her face burn brightly.

' _Natsu and I? No way, he'd never go for me. It's much more likely that he'll end up with either Lucy or Lisanna'._

"You've been stuttering less," Natsu observed, looking down at the brunette. "Does that mean you're warming up to us?"

"I don't stutter as much when I'm feeling strong emotions or giving an explanation." Rien rattled off. "My mind is too busy processing to take into account feelings of embarrassment or shyness." Coming back to herself, Rien felt her cheeks warm. "S-sorry. I-I hope th-this doesn't offend you. I-I'm w-working on it."

"What about Erza? You stopped stuttering around her yesterday."

"We spent a lot of time together, and we were working."

"So if we spend more time together, you'll stop stuttering around me?"

The poor girl's face burned brightly. "I s-suppose that's a l-logical conclusion."

"Good to know." Natsu grinned, giving her hand a small squeeze.

The two walked the rest of the way in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Even though it was embarrassing, Rien couldn't help but enjoy holding the dragon-slayers hand. It was comforting to have him next to her.

For his part, Natsu was trying to figure out why he was so drawn to the girl next to him when he hadn't really known her before two days ago, and why he felt so peaceful whenever they had physical contact with one another.

Not soon enough, or perhaps much too soon, the two magic users made it to the field where Wynn was currently staying. Rien thought maybe Natsu would let go of her hand now that they'd made it here, but he didn't seem to be making a move towards doing so. The brunette gulped, bring the whistle to her lips. Although it turned out to be unnecessary after all, because Wynn had already spotted them.

"Hi baby boy~" Rien cooed, pressing her forehead against his. She used her free hand to scratch his cheek, causing the Wyvern to purr low in his throat. "Are you ready for the mission?"

Wynn nodded his head. He glanced at Natsu questioningly.

"Oh, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, and Happy are coming too. We'll meet the others at the train station and then we'll all camp out in the woods together while we wait for the Gamemaster. Sound good?"

Wynn puffed air out of his nose as a sign of approval.

"Thank you. I'll send you directions now." Rien's eyes glowed along with her hand, which she placed on Wynn's head. The wyvern's eyes glowed as well, fading when Rien's did.

"Okay, we're good to go," Rien said, smiling up with Natsu. They walked over to the saddle, finally letting go of each other's hand in order to climb on. The small girl would have been relieved had his arms not wrapped back around her waist immediately after. She took a shaky breath, reminding herself that he had to hold on while they flew on Wynn. She gently tapped the wyvern's side, letting him know they were good to go. Wynn roared, shooting off into the sky.

"This never gets old." The brunette smiled to herself, taking in the air around them. As a child, she had always wondered what it would be like to fly. She'd dreamed of sprouting her own wings and taking off into the sky. Flying with Wynn was the closest she'd ever gotten to that. Arguably, this was better because she didn't have to fly alone.

"One day, when I find Igneel again, I'll take you flying with us too," Natsu promised, enjoying the sun on his skin along with the feeling of flight. Rien's heart warmed.

"I'd like that."

They flew in relative silence from there. Rien's eyelids felt heavy, but she refused to let them close. It wasn't safe to sleep while she was flying. The girl had stayed up until almost five in the morning reading over every piece of information on the Gamemaster she could gather. The more knowledge she had, the more accurate her magic would be. As much as she tried to make it seem like she was okay with risking it, Rien was scared. She didn't know who she was without her magic. It was one of the few things about herself that she actually liked. If she wasn't a probability mage, what was left? A yawn escaped her lips.

"You're still tired?" Natsu questioned, having heard the air escape her lips. "You slept in until almost nine in the morning!"

"I-I didn't go to bed until after four." She admitted, yawning again. "I think I was running on the adrenaline of finding you guys in my home."

"If you're tired, go to sleep," Natsu said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I-I can't. I could fall off Wynn. Not to mention I have to be there to guide him if something goes wrong. And what about when we descend?"

"If that's all you're worried about-" The pinkette started, a cheeky smile on his face. He pulled Rien back so that she fell against his chest, using him to support her weight. Then he scooted forward, keeping one arm around her and using the other to grab the front of the saddle. Rien's head fell so that it was cradled between his neck and shoulder.

"N-Natsu!" She cried. She tried to sit up, but Natsu was insistent on keeping her where she was.

"It's fine, isn't it? I'll make sure you don't fall off while you sleep. Besides, Wynn knows where to go because you told him earlier. If something happens, I'll wake you up, and I'll make sure you're awake before we start to land. Trust me."

Why did that 'trust me' have to sound so much heavier than it was meant to be?

"Okay." She agreed at last. It was a losing battle anyway. At last, Rien let her eyes fall shut. Her head lolled to the side, nose brushing against his chest as her body leaned more fully against them.

At first, she didn't think she'd be able to do it. Never had she been held so close to someone else. It made her heart race. Yet as time went on, she felt herself relaxing against him. Leaning against Natsu felt like a warm blanket wrapped around her back, and she found herself soothed by his heartbeat.

Pretty soon, Rien was fast asleep.

Natsu looks down at the brunette pressed against him with a soft gaze. How could they have been around one another for so long, and never actually met? He felt there had been some kind of veil that blocked her out, and now that it was gone the world was different and he couldn't go back. Not that he wanted to. Even though they hadn't realized she was a member until now, Natsu realized that Fairy Tail wouldn't be the same without her anymore. He'd begun noticing all the little ways she'd fit in all along, like how she'd help Mirajane in the kitchen. Had they actually believed she did it all on her own? How had no one questioned how Gray's clothes always got back to him in the guild? Why didn't anyone ask who restocked the alcohol every day when they knew Mirajane went straight home after her shift?

Natsu resolved then and there that he would never let her feel uncared for or underappreciated again.

* * *

A few hours later, after finding a good spot for Wynn to land, Natsu and Rien were wandering around town as they waited for the rest of the team's train to come in.

"Er, N-Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Wh-why are you still holding m-my hand?"

"Oh, to make sure you don't run into the Gamemaster alone." He answered nonchalantly, eyes scanning over the outdoor menu of a ramen place. One hand was in his pants pocket, while the other was still wrapped around her own. "This way, he can't separate us, and you can't go looking on your own."

"R-right." Rien agreed. Did she really lose this much trust when she tried to run off? Rien hung her head.

"Something wrong?" The pinkette asked, curious as to why she suddenly looked so upset.

"N-nothing! Did you want to get something to eat?"

"Lucy and Happy will kill me if I eat without them." Natsu pouted, his stomach rumbling. "Please take me somewhere without food~."

Rien giggled, making the dragon-slayer perk up. "How about-" The girl's eyes flashed as she scanned the street. "The magic shop?"

"Sure." The teen agreed, dragging her towards the store. Anything to get away from the smell of food. Rien smiled to herself. Magic items had unique signatures relating to the wizards who made them, not to mention the safe ones were fun to play with. She hoped that might occupy Natsu's senses for a little while.

"Hello." An older man greeted them when they walked in. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Do you happen to have any books for teaching magic?" The brunette asked. It was fairly probable they had the book she needed.

"We do. On the shelves to your left."

"Thank you, sir."

Rien tugged on Natsu's hand, bringing him over to the book shelves.

"You didn't stutter with him." The boy grumbled under his breath.

"Business transaction." The smaller teen fired back. She reached the stacks, eyes scanning over the shelves. Then she used her magic to figure out the organization system and move to the section she needed.

"Are you buying something?"

"For Lucy," Rien explained, thumb running over the spines of the book. She stopped on one titled ' _Manipulating the Wavelength of Light Magic"_

"What's that?" Natsu asked, ducking his head closers to hers to get a better look at the cover.

"I promised Lucy I would help her learn a second magic."

"No way~! What is it." He demanded excitedly, eyes growing wide.

"Uh-" Rien cradled the book to her chest, stepping as far back as their connected hands would allow. "She could basically use her magic to change the property of light and light magic. So, like, make it act like water or ice without actually changing it."

"Could she use fire magic?"

"I-I think so?"

"Hell yeah!" Natsu cheered. "She needs to learn that one right away! I'll even help!"

Rien winced. Honestly, Lucy might be better off without Natsu's assistance on this one.

"W-we'll just have to wait and see, w-won't we?"

"We can start as soon as she gets here!"

"It would be better if she saves her magic in case we find the Gamemaster." Rien corrected awkwardly. "I'm hoping we'll have time after the mission though."

"Fine~"

Rien turned to go back to the register when something caught her eye.

"What's that?" She mumbled, gently pulling Natsu between the shelves. Resting against two hooks drilled into the wall was a metal bo staff. The brunette grabbed the tag, glancing at the description.

"Lengthens and shrinks at will and can be worn as a bracelet, earing, or another accessory." She read. Since there was a ' _try me'_ sign next to it, Rien decided it shouldn't be a problem to take it down and look.

"Can you hold this for a second? And let me use my other hand?"

"Yeah." Natsu took the book from her hand and let go, which honestly felt kind of strange. The pinkette found himself hyper-aware of his right hand and was unsure of what he should do with it now that it wasn't holding another. In the end, he decided to just hold the book with both hands.

Rien took the bo staff off the shelf. According to the directions, all she needed to do was swipe her thumb across the center of the staff for it to shrink. The brunette did so, gently moving her digit along the smooth metal. Even though she knew it would happen, Rien still gasped as the staff shimmered in her hands and shrunk down until it was barely an inch long. Then, it warped to form a band she could slip on her wrist where sat comfortably against her skin.

"This too." She decided, taking it off and changing it back into a staff. To do so, all she had to do was toss it up in the air. "I've been looking for a weapon like this."

"Wouldn't a sword or something be better?" Natsu asked, mildly annoyed when Rien grabbed the book and set off for the register without him.

"I don't like harming others unless absolutely necessary. Swords, while generally successful, tend to easily cause bodily harm due to their sharp edges. I'd rather subdue my opponents without drawing blood."

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" The salesman asked when they approached. Rien smiled kindly.

"Yes, thank you."

"That'll be 25,000 jewels."

The brunette nodded, handing over the requested money. Once that was done, Natsu snagged her hand again since it was free. Because he had to make sure she didn't run off. Obviously.

"Are you and your boyfriend getting a gift for someone?"

Rien choked on air. "M-m-my-my-my-"

"Our friend Lucy." The dragon-slayer answered, taking the bag. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

"You too!" Natsu called over his shoulder, maneuvering Rien out of the store. "Hey, do you think they're here by now?"

"Wh-what?" Rien asked, snapping out of her stupor. Her entire face was flushed.

"Lucy and the others. Do you think their train is here?"

"Umm…" Rien's eyes glowed. "Their train will pull into the station in approximately fourteen minutes and thirty-two seconds. We can go over and wait if you'd like."

"And then food."

"And then food." Rien agreed. Sharing a smile, the two headed off to the train station.

* * *

"Hey guys! Did we keep you waiting long?" Lucy called, waving as she stepped off the train. She and Happy made it over to the two first while Gray was stuck helping Erza unload all her luggage.

"It was exactly one hour and forty-nine minutes. So not bad." Rien shrugged.

"We set up camp with Wynn. Oh! And we got you a book!" Natsu exclaimed, passing the bag to the blonde haired mage. Rien had already taken out her staff and was wearing it around her wrist.

"It's on spectrum magic." The brunette added.

"Aww, you guys, thank you!" Lucy squealed, throwing her arms around the two. They were squished together, the awkward position making them drop each other's hands. Natsu laughed and pat Lucy's back while Rien fidgeted. She wasn't really sure what to do in a group hug…

"Is there cause for celebration?" Erza asked as she and Gray joined the group, clear amusement in her voice.

"Rien's gonna help me learn this magic!" Lucy explained, holding up the book. Then, she turned to address the brunette. "Have you looked at it yet?"

"Enough to make sure it's legit, but not particularly."

"Well, let's check it out! I can walk and read. Just don't let me crash into anything."

"Alright."

Erza decided to join the girls, curious about the magic Lucy would be learning, leaving Natsu to trail behind with Happy and Gray. His hands were placed deep in his pockets and he was slightly hunched over, dragging his feet.

"Yo, dude, are you pouting?" Gray smirked.

"What? No."

"But you're walking funny." Happy noted.

"I'm not." Natsu tried to fix his walk, but he didn't know what to do with his hand again. Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Does this have to do with Rien?"

"NO!"

"Dude-"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

 _ **A/N I really need to stop giving Rien skills from all my favorite characters but uh, she now has Ty Lee's agility, Sebastian's ability to do impossible tasks, and Robin's bo staff (from Teen Titans) but hey, she's a Fairy Tail character who doesn't have OP destructive magic so…. I'll allow it. So what's going on with Natsu, huh? Getting some strange feelings for Rien… sorry if he's a bit OOC, but I feel like most stories with Natsu and Romance are always at least a little OOC anyway, that lovable idiot. And I want it to be kind of fluffy. Not that the missions won't get serious. Actually, the coming chapters might be a bit surprising to say the least. And heavy. Anyone else smell plot?**_

 _ **P.S. Rien's spell was called 'Variable manipulation'. As of now, it allows her to change ONE variable. For example, here, she eliminated sound as a factor. Later on, she may change other variables you might find in a scientific experiment, such as the temperature or the substance. You'll just have to wait and see (mostly because I'm still writing it).**_

 _ **Please leave a review!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8 ~ 8 Ways to Get Caught on Purpose**_

 _A/N: Trigger warning ahead. Mention of suicide and self-harm (not cutting)_

Although they were only a few miles away from town, Rien had explained they would be more likely to run into the Gamemaster if they pretended to be mages lost in the middle of the woods while on a job rather than stay at the hotel. From the moment they left town, the brunette had banned them from talking about the actual mission. If he was somewhere nearby scoping out the area, he'd know too much too soon. Because of this, the five teens along with Happy and Wynn were seated outside around a campfire. Rien was leaning against Wynn's side with Lucy, looking over the spectrum book while the Wyvern slept. Gray was lightly dozing by the fire, Erza was making a list of her armors and weapons at Rien's request (for data on her magic), and Natsu and Happy were roasting fish over the fire despite having eaten ramen not even two hours beforehand.

A little while later, Lucy decided she'd looked enough for now and further reading would make her want to try it even more. Instead, she wanted to open a group discussion to maybe help Rien feel more comfortable with them.

"It's been a while since the last time we camped out like this." Lucy began, looking up at the stars. "Kinda reminds me of those movies where the teens have a heart to heart around the campfire."

Erza perked up. Bingo. "Why do they do that?"

"It's a bonding experience," Lucy explained. "You know, you and your friends are out in the woods with no one else around. There's no chance anyone else walking by will hear your secrets. Plus, I think something about being in the wilderness just feels more freeing, you know?"

"I believe I do," Erza answered, looking thoughtful. "How would one go about this type of discussion?"

"Lucy, you are opening a can of worms that you do not want to get into." Gray sighed, but the way he sat up in attention gave away the fact he was interested too.

"Neh Neh, I wanna hear secrets!" Happy cheered.

"I am very aware you planned this on purpose," Rien muttered under her breath to the blonde, making her giggle. Across the way, Natsu cocked his head to the side.

"Why would Luce do that?"

 **"It's nothing!"** Both girls answered at the same time, Rien with a blush while Lucy grinned. Natsu just frowned. Still, he shifted his body to face the circle.

"We could each go around and take a turn asking a question, and everyone has to answer honestly," Lucy suggested. "I can start. What's one thing you like to do no one knows about?"

"Starting strong." Gray rolled his eyes. "But whatever. I like making model sailboats and floating them down the canal at night."

"Really?" Lucy asked, looking skeptical. "I thought it'd have more to do with ice than water." Gray shrugged in response.

"Ilikeromancemanga." Erza rushed, a blush coating her face. Rien smiled at her.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of that. I like to read them too sometimes. Gives my mind a break from imagining the characters, plus the artwork can be very beautiful or cute."

"I agree." The red-haired mage nodded, eyes sparkling. "I enjoy the way action is portrayed on the two-dimensional page as well."

"Like-"

"Guys, talk about it later~" Happy whined, "Let someone elsh speak."

"My apologies." Cue a blush from both females.

"Happy and I have a garden," Natsu said. Gray snorted.

"You're telling me that you grow living things in your yard, and they aren't dead?"

"That's more than you can say Ice Fairy! Sailboats are just wood! That takes no skill at all!"

"You'd probably smash them all to pieces you flaming moron! Making things takes a steady hand and a lot of concentration!"

"So does growing food, Snow Princess!"

"Ash Brains!"

"Ice Stripper!

"ENOUGH" Erza growled. "Both skills are highly commendable. Rien, tell us what yours is."

"Umm, I-I guess I like to sing." She offered shyly.

"Oh yeah, Rien's voice is really pretty." Natsu piped up. Rien directed her gaze to the ground.

"You heard her sing?" Lucy questioned, a sly smirk on her face.

"When she was cooking breakfast. It was pretty quiet though."

"L-Lucy, please go." Rien interrupted.

"Right. Let's see. Sometimes, I modify my own clothes."

"So your boobs stick out more." Gray snickered.

"G-Gray!"

"Don't embarrass Lucy," Erza ordered, a menacing look on her face.

"Fine, whatever. I have one. What do your names mean? Mine isn't just the color. It actually has to do with being 'welcoming' or 'pleasing'. Ur told me that." Gray started.

"Lucy means 'of the light'. My mom said it's because I was the light of my parents' world."

"Happy just means Happy."

Natsu's nose crinkled. "Eh, something to do with summer? I never thought it was important."

"Erza means helper," Erza answered. "One of the children from the tower of Heaven said that once."

All eyes turned to Rien, whose face was buried in her hands.

"Rien?" Lucy gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It means… nothing."

"C'mon, it must mean something," Gray argued. Finally, Rien lifted her head, tears gathered in her eyes.

"You misunderstood me. The name 'Rien' translates to the word 'nothing'. When you call me Rien, you are calling me nothing. A thing of no value."

"Oh my god," Lucy whispered, yanking the girl into a hug. For her part, Rien didn't react, staring at the fire in hopes of keeping her tears at bay.

"Why?" Erza whispered, horrified. "What mother would name her child such a thing?"

"My mother never wanted me," Rien explained, rubbing her palms against her eyes. "When my father found out she was pregnant, he left her. She always blamed me for it and exacted her revenge in a way I would never be able to escape. I thought she loved me for the longest time, until I was six years old and she left me at my aunt's apartment. As soon as my Aunt was legally old enough to take care of me, she left me there. The last I heard of her, she sent me a letter from a country far away from here, asking for money in return for giving birth to me. There's an 89% chance she was drunk when she wrote it."

"I'm sorry I brought it up." Gray apologized, but the brunette shook her head.

"Don't be. I was very happy growing up with my aunt. She took excellent care of me. I still try to go back to visit her every so often. She owns a bakery in Watertown. And it is because of my mother that I learned my magic. I never wanted to be blindsided by someone again in the way I was by her, so I did my research and found all the resources I could to teach myself probability magic."

"We're not calling you Rien anymore," Natsu spoke lowly from the other side of the fire. Rien frowned.

"But that's my name."

"It should not be," Erza answered, seething inside. "I refuse to call any of my friends such a thing."

"Please don't make us call you something so horrible!" Happy cried, flying over to hug the girl. "I hate it!"

"Y-You called me Rei before. Does that work?"

"It's perfect." Lucy smiled. "Because Rei means beautiful."

Rien's face heated.

"We'll make sure to tell the Guild when we get back."

"Th-that won't be necessary!"

"Yes, it is," Natsu said seriously. "We're trying to show you how much we care, but every day we're calling you nothing. I won't let it happen anymore."

"Neither will I." Gray.

"Nor I." Erza.

"No way!" Happy.

"I won't stand for it either." Lucy.

For a moment, the campfire was silent.

"W-well I think we should get some rest. After all, we still have two days of travel before we reach Persimineon and then we need to track down the gang who's been stealing shipment from the docks." Rien partially lied. She hoped, if the Gamemaster was nearby, he'd now think of them a group of lost mages who couldn't even read a map. They would need their strength to fight him though. She also knew that he would likely attack the camp at night, which she hadn't told the rest of the team. If they knew he would show up then, they might not sleep. And if they didn't sleep, he might not come. She trusted that they had done this enough times before to be light enough sleepers that they would notice.

She also knew they all knew she was trying to change the subject and just pretended not to notice.

"You're probably right." Lucy acknowledged, a yawn escaping her lips. "It's been a long day. I could use some sleep."

The group made quick work of setting out their sleeping bags near where they had been sitting, Rien still pressed against Wynn, just as she'd slept every night while in Tillman's forest. The girl evened her breathing so as to appear asleep, the dim red glow around her body hidden in the folds of her sleeping bag. In the same way she had been when waiting for the intruder to show up on her job with Lucy, she was intensely monitoring the area with her magic. The second the Gamemaster showed up, she would know.

It was just a matter of time.

* * *

Rien was on the verge of dropping the spell. She was using quite a bit of magic to keep it going. However, she reminded herself that the others could do most of the fighting as long as she cornered the enemy.

And then, she was alerted to the body of a man slowly walking towards them through the woods.

Male. 5'7. 309Ibs.

It was him.

The girl remained motionless as she waited for him to reach the camp. He was tossing a sphere up and down in one hand which seemed to hold a large amount of magic power, though she felt no magic from the man himself. So it was a magic item responsible for what had happened. That was good. It was much easier to reverse the effects of magic items than a magic spell.

"Hmm, what have we here~?" The man whispered to himself, cradling the orb in his hand. Rien sat up, getting out of her sleeping bag.

"Should we bother with pleasantries?" She asked, her voice monotone. The large man began to snicker as he rounded on her. By the light of the fire, she could see that he had dressed himself as some kind of jester in red, yellow, blue, and black. Bits of greasy red hair stuck out from under the large cap.

"Oh? It seems my reputation precedes me."

"Yes. The Gamemaster. A bit narcissistic if we're being honest."

"Hoho~ but I never lose, do I?"

"You lost the moment you decided to challenge me."

"Us." Natsu corrected, coming to stand by her side. The others had woken up as well, standing around the small brunette. "We'll all be taking you on in this game."

"Hmm, if you're sure..." His smile was unnatural, stretching farther up his cheeks than should have been possible.

"What's stopping us from beating you to a pulp and dragging you to the magic council right now?" Gray asked, folding his arms across his bare chest.

"Weeeeellllllll, you could do that, but then you'd never know how to get the magic back of the wizards I've stolen from already. You see, this item is very rare indeed. Its magic will only be released at my will. And-" The man stuck out his tongue, revealing the blue pill that rested on the tip "I'd just kill myself before we got that far, hoho~!"

"You're insane." Lucy spat, furious. The Gamemaster laughed so hard it was a wonder he didn't cough up a lung.

"Maaayyyybeeee!"

"How do we know you won't kill yourself if we win?" Erza interrogated, eyes burrowing into him. The Gamemaster shrugged.

"That would be cheating, and I don't cheat, nonono! Here's the name of the game kids. Three games, six of you, one winner. You can play the first two trials together, but for the third one, you'll each be given a custom game. The first one to get through their game wins. As for the rest of you, well, you won't win, but you'll still lose your magic if you don't complete the game." The jester shrugged. "As for me, if none of you beat all the games, I win! HohohhahaHAHAHAA." He cleared his throat. "Anywho, when you're ready, just place your hand on the orb." He raised his left hand, holding out the large orb with purple and pink magic swirling in its depths.

"Let me go alone," Rien whispered, stepping forward. Even if she won, she wouldn't be able to protect the rest of them from losing their magic.

"Not a chance." Natsu hissed back, moving up as well. The others followed his lead, reaching out for the orb.

"Well well, I've never had so many challengers at once before. This should be… entertaining."

"Let's just start already!" Happy snapped. "After this, I'm gonna eat a big fat carp to celebrate beating your sorry butt."

"No take backs~" The Gamemaster raised his right hand, smacking it down on the top of the orb. Everyone was blinded by purple light before everything went black.

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

* * *

Rien opened her eyes. All around them appeared to be darkness, except for a white table with a mallet and a note resting on its surface.

"Is everyone alright?" Erza asked, coming too as well. Rien stood up, vaguely listening to the confirmation of the others as she took in her surroundings. There were no walls and no doors. She sensed nothing else around them either. That meant they must have been teleported, although teleportation magic didn't usually render people unconscious. The girl frowned. She had eight different theories so far, but she needed more data.

"What's with the paper and the hammer?" Lucy wondered, walking towards the table. Rien beat her there, reading the note aloud.

"Trial one: Pain. In order to move on to the next round, ONE player must use the mallet to break their own hand. Upon completion of the task, ALL players will be allowed to move on to the next game. Failure to comply will result in the elimination of all players." The brunette frowned. This man was clever. She wasn't sure if he knew about her Probability magic and had changed the games accordingly, or if he knew he'd need to weaken their team for the next game.

"No way in hell!" Gray shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with this guy?!"

"So we can't move on unless one of us does it." Happy whimpered, staring down at his paws. Natsu growled.

"There has to be another way dammit!"

"Like what?" Lucy groaned, staring at the evil weapon. She didn't want to see any of her friends get hurt. Still, she didn't know if she was strong enough to do such a thing to herself either…

"If it is the only option, I'll do it." Erza decided bravely, stepping forward. The others cried in protest.

"Hold on." Rien stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There are other variables you haven't taken into consideration."

"What are you talking about? All that's here is a table, a note, a mallet, and us." Lucy argued.

"And I can't smell or hear anyone else," Natsu added.

Rien hummed. Natsu wasn't picking up anything either, which was valuable information. Another person may be able to hide their magical signature, but she doubted they could hide themselves from his senses. But she needed more.

"I have an idea." Rien offered. Her eyes glowed, revealing that she was calculating their options.

"First, I need everyone to sit down and close their eyes." She ordered, placing the note back on the table.

"I don't see how this helps," Gray spoke, complying with her request. Who was he to argue with the probability mage? She had a lot more insight than they did. The others followed as well, leading Rien to smile sadly.

"Believe me, it does."

She picked up the mallet.

 _'Crunch'_

"FUCK!"

 _'plunk'_

Everyone's eyes shot open, snapping over to Rien. The girl was on her knees, the hammer at her side, still rattling from the force of being dropped. Her left hand rested on the table, blood running down from her knuckles. It was rapidly becoming a dark purple color, and the skin looked deformed due to the shattered bones beneath it. Lucy gasped, placing her hands over her mouth.

"REI!"

Natsu was the first to react, running over to the girl and scooping her into his arms. For her part, only a single tear streamed down her cheek.

"What were you thinking?" He whispered angrily, too afraid to touch her arm.

"My mind is my weapon. I was the most logical choice. Besides, I don't have enough data yet. I need to collect all the information I can, and that includes using the weapons he provides and undergoing the punishments he sets. I need to figure out how the game works."

"Here." Gray held out his hand which contained a block of ice. "For your hand."

The brunette took it gratefully, hissing at the initial contact. Her entire hand felt like it was throbbing and burning at the same time. Really, she supposed she should be grateful she felt anything at all.

"I-I'm sorry. A-are you mad?"

"Not at you," Erza promised. "Though there will be consequences the next time you deceive us like that."

"I wasn't trying to-"

"Yes, you were. You made us close our eyes!" Lucy cried, tears falling from hers. "Stop trying to do everything on your own!"

"I'll kill him," Natsu growled, adjusting Rien to more comfortably hold her while standing. "No one hurts my Nakama and gets away with it."

"Guys, look."

A few feet from the table, the darkness began parting along an invisible seam, allowing beams of light to shine through. It continued to roll like waves hitting the tide until there was a ten-foot gap. On the other side, they could see what looked like a cliff covered in green grass with a forest behind it.

"That must be the setting of the next game," Rien observed. Either it was some kind of portal, or they had been in the grassy area all along surrounded by a veil of darkness that had only now been broken.

Gray grit his teeth. "Let's go. I wanna give this guy a piece of my mind."

The group began to walk forward, Rien still being held bridal-style in Natsu's arms.

"My legs aren't broken, just my hand. I can walk." She spoke quietly, knowing only Natsu would hear her with his dragon-slayer enhanced senses.

'Don't care. I'm not letting you get hurt again."

She would have argued further, but at that point, they'd made it out of the darkness and onto the grassy plains of the cliff. There were only about four feet between them and the edge of the cliffside. Rien's body glowed as she immediately took in the environment.

Now this was interesting.

The girl smirked. Her initial theory had been disproved and was now replaced with a much more likely possibility. All she needed was a little more proof, although the setting was almost enough.

Almost.

"Hoho~ Welcome to the second level! Ah, so the tiny one who thinks she can win all on her own took the fall. How sweet." The Gamemaster appeared before them, holding the orb in his hand. "But martyrdom will get you nowhere."

"Dude, I'm about to freeze your brain and smash it to pieces." Gray threatened darkly, a magic circle appearing underneath him. The jester began to laugh.

"Now now, I think you'll be a little to busy for that. Here comes the second game, and it's a showstopper! HohohoHOHAHAHA~!"

The ground under the Gamemaster began to shake heavily, causing the Fairy Tail mages to almost lose their balance. They probably would have if not for Rien casting a quick Statera spell on them all. Suddenly, the dirt exploded, and the Gamemaster was standing on the head of a draconian creature.

"Meet the Leviathan! You can all work together for this one. Beat him and move on. Now don't be skeptical, it really is that simple. Toodles!" The large man jumped into a backflip, disappearing mid-air.

"Wait here. We'll make this quick." Natsu said to Rien, placing her on the ground. He stood in front of her, yelling angrily as his body was encased in flames. Erza changed into her Black Wing armor, a silver sword with red twisting down the middle in her hands. Gray took a fighting stance, ice forming between his hands. Lucy grabbed her keys in one hand and Fleuve D'étoiles in the other. Happy hovered between Lucy and Natsu, ready to offer support.

Natsu dove into the fight first.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** He yelled, propelling himself forward.

Rien closed her eyes, taking a meditative position other than her left hand, which hung uselessly by her side. She let her magic envelop her as she made note of all the factors she knew.

'The Gamemaster also thinks that's a Leviathan.' She added. With the mix of the opponent, the area they were in, and even the table from before which she now recognized, Rien knew exactly where they were and what the games were based on. All she needed now was to see if the Gamemaster had truly stolen other people's magic, or if it was some other trick, which she highly suspected it was.

While this was going on, she was also paying attention to the battle. Erza's swords weren't breaking through the 'leviathan's' scales, and Gray and Natsu weren't doing much damage either. Lucy had tried to use Virgo to trap it in a trench, only to discover the creature was well versed in digging.

Rien sensed the next attack before it happened.

The way the beast was standing, the winding back of its tail, Happy's location in the air-

It was going to knock Happy of the cliffside.

"HAPPY!" Natsu and Lucy screamed, watching the leviathan's tail connect with the blue cat's stomach. Happy's eyes went wide for only a moment before he went sailing through the air.

Natsu turned to run after him but was passed by a speeding red blur.

Rien.

The girl dove over the edge.

"REI, HAPPY!" She heard the screams of her friends. The girl tucked in her arms and straightened her feet, trying to lessen the air resistance as much as possible to catch up with Happy. Her eyes flashed, and she shifted her right arm three degrees back, slightly speeding up her descent. About halfway down the cliffside she finally caught up with the cat, wrapping her good arm around him to hold him against her chest. She changed her position, trying to let as little force as possible effect Happy when they hit the water.

"NO!"

Natsu, Lucy, and Gray ran to look over the edge of the cliff while Erza drove her sword between the beast's eyes, just in time to see Happy and Rien break through the surface with a large splash.

They waited with bated breath.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing.

"No," Lucy whispered, dropping her whip at her side. So enveloped in her own sorrow, she didn't see how the others reacted.

'You know' Rien thought to herself, sinking further and further under. Beneath them, a brilliant yellow light began to shine through the dark water. 'That should have broken several bones in my back and caused damage to my skin, but I felt nothing. Seems like the Gamemaster's head isn't in the game on this one after all'.

Darkness.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Has Rien figured it out? Most of it. Has anyone else? No. Are Rien and Happy totally screwed? Maybe... All will be explained in the next chapter. As for the games, I know they aren't as based on probability as one would think. However, Rien does hint that it seems like the games have been changed on purpose. She's the only one who'd know, considering she read the files. More on that later. In the meantime, make a bag of popcorn or something. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better._**

 _ **If you have the time, please leave a review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9 - 9 Ways to Trick a Trickster**_

 _ **A/N: Trigger warnings ahead. Mentions of suicide and blood.**_

* * *

When Rien woke up, she was back in that dark void again, only this time it was just her and Happy.

"What's wrong?" She asked, dragging herself to her feet. "Did you run out of places in my memories to take us? Or does that not work now that I know the truth?"

"So you think you've figured out the rules of the game?" Suddenly, a beam of light shot out of nowhere like a spotlight, revealing the Gamemaster sitting on a giant pedestal atop a large case of stairs. His laughter echoed through the area with the orb spinning around one of his index fingers.

"Rien, where are the others?" Happy asked, having regained consciousness when she did.

"This is the final game Happy, which means we have to do it alone. Except you passed through the portal with me, so we ended up together."

"Oh hoho~ and what else do you think you know."

Rien stood tall, keeping Happy close. "I know that your games are taking place in my mind. I know that you have to use locations and objects I've seen before. That table was my kitchen table before I took off the legs. The mallet is one of the tools from the guild storage room. That cliff is where I met Wynn in the Tillman forest. I also know that you regulate which sensations we feel. It was easy to remember to apply pain when I broke my hand, but there was nothing when I hit the water except for the regular sensation of being submerged. However, at the height we fell from and the speed we were traveling when we made impact, I should have been severely injured. Finally, just because you can see my memories, that doesn't mean you know what they are. You thought you were unleashing a Leviathan on us, but really that was a Landwyrm that I read about while studying dragons to help Natsu find Igneel. Leviathans are sea creatures whereas Landwyrms are land dwellers.

"Then how do you explain this!" The man laughed, raising the orb above his head. A large torrent of water sped out, aiming for Rien and Happy.

Rien's eyes flashed. She jumped to her left and rolled, barely managing to dodge.

"Let me help!" Happy exclaimed. He flew behind Rien and shoved his arms under hers, flying her out of the way of a blast of fire.

"Is this the magic that he's stolen from others?" The exceed asked. With help from Rien's magic, he managed to dodge a barrage of arrows with ease. The girl's eyes narrowed.

"Well? Time is ticking. Don't forget your friends are fighting their own battles as well! HohohoHOHAHAHA~"

' _Hang in there guys, I'll figure this out, I promise. I've almost got it."_

* * *

Erza defeated the 'Leviathan', leaving the others wondering what to do next. Natsu was about ready to throw himself off the cliff, but Lucy reminded him that it wouldn't help them win the game. Rien would have told them if the Gamemaster took lives. Right now, the most likely case was that they lost. Although it was arguably better than dying, all four of them felt solemn at the idea of Rien and Happy losing their magic.

"Even without magic, they'll always be Fairy Tail," Gray promised, standing with his team.

Suddenly, the Leviathan faded away, leaving another gateway in its place.

"Happy and Rei could be in there," Natsu noted. Without another thought, Natsu jumped into the portal.

"Natsu, wait!" Lucy yelled, running in after him.

"I must fetch them. We should try to stay together." Erza muttered, jumping in as well, leaving Gray on his own.

"No point in just waiting around." He decided, also entering the portal.

* * *

"Happy, Rei?!" Natsu called, trying to run through. He ended up in the middle of an open area among a lush forest. When he checked to scan behind him, he found that the portal was gone. The teen cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Guys, where are you?"

Natsu tried sniffing the air, but there was no trace of their scents.

"Damnit, stupid old perv. Come out and fight me!" He yelled. If he couldn't find Rien and Happy, then he could get revenge for them.

Out of nowhere, a small piece of paper started falling in front of his face like a leaf off a tree in autumn. He snagged it, reading the contents quickly.

' _Trail Three: Choice. In order to win the game, the player must choose ONE of the following options. Give up his sight, or give up his hearing. The player will then be asked to fight a mythical beast. Beat the beast and win the game.'_

"Tch. Easy. I'll give up my hearing."

As soon as he finished saying it, Natsu could no longer hear a thing. He tried to speak, yet couldn't make out the sound of his own voice. Without warning, his body was hit by a strong force and thrown to the side.

There, standing behind him was a wyvern, eyes glowing red.

"Wynn!"

* * *

"Where am I?" Lucy wondered, looking out at the stars. She was high up somewhere, feet resting on the cloud cover.

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde noticed movement, She turned, watching in amazement as the stars rearranged themselves to write a message.

'' _Trail Three: Choice. In order to win the game, the player must choose ONE of the following options. Destroy Aries key, destroy Loke's key, destroy Sagittarius key. Failure to choose will result in a game over.'_

"What?!" Lucy shrieked, clutching the keys to her chest. "I can't do that!"

Lucy fell to the ground, tears in her eyes. Happy and Rien were gone, she'd been separated from the rest of her friends, and now she was expected to destroy one of her keys? No way! She could never do that to one of her spirits.

The blonde thought back to what Rien had told her the previous day.

' _Can you really say that you'd be okay with never being able to summon your keys again? If we lose, you'll lose all your contracts with your celestial spirits.'_

So the choice was to lose one of them or lose them all.

"I-I can't." Lucy cried softly. "I can't hurt them." Maybe, if she summoned one of them, they'd be able to give her advice. There had to be a way around this.

" **Open, gate of the Lion, Leo!"**

Nothing happened.

No no no. She really was all alone here. What should she do now?

 _~~Break Line~~_

Erza emerged from the portal, appearing in what seemed to be a child's bedroom. The carpet was brown, with yellow walls, a wooden bed with a white comforter, a small wooden desk, and a wood dresser.

She turned her back, only to find doll-like versions of her friends, including one of herself.

"What is going on here?"

Sitting on the lap of her doll was a note. Erza picked it up, reading it over.

' _Trail Three: Choice. In order to win the game, the player must choose ONE of the following options. Save Lucy, save Natsu, save Gray, save Happy, Save Erza. The rest will remain dolls forever. Failure to choose will result in a game over.'_

Erza frowned. She wouldn't be picking herself, obviously, but then who should she choose? How could she only pick one of her friends and leave the rest to be dolls forever?

* * *

Gray found himself standing on a brick path at what seemed to be the entrance of a small town. He frowned to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Great, they all got separated.

The teen sighed, strolling towards a bulletin board. Maybe it would offer some information to his location. However, the board only had one paper on it.

' _Trail Three: Choice. In order to win the game, the player must choose ONE of the following options. Save the school from the demon, save the apartment complex from the demon. Failure to choose will result in a Game Over and all parties will die.'_

"Demon!" The teen yelled, spinning on his heels. There, making its way towards the town, was a demon flying over the forest. It would only be a matter of minutes before it arrived. The teen grit is teeth. No matter what he chose, he would be condemning a large number of people to death. And yet, if he didn't choose, everyone would die.

Fuck this game.

* * *

"You can't dodge forever!" The Gamemaster yelled manically, vines erupting from the ground that tried to swat the two out of the sky. Rien and Happy managed to just barely avoid getting hit.

"Wh-what do we do?" Happy panted, dodging every attack. Rien's body glowed.

"He's right. We can't dodge anymore. Put me down Happy."

"But you'll be hurt again!" The cat cried, big, fat tears forming in his eyes.

"I'll be alright. The only way to win this game is if I climb the top of the stairs."

"But his magic-"

"It's not his." Rien realized, a smile growing on her face. "It's not his magic at all!"

"Yeah, it's the magic he stole from other people!" Happy reminded, weaving through balls of pink wool.

"No, it's not. I know what to do. Please put me down."

Happy still seemed hesitant, but even he realized there were no other options. Happy flew down and placed Rien at the bottom of the steps. She glared up at the Gamemaster, burgundy eyes boring into his crazed ones.

"All you are is a bag of cheap tricks," Rien yelled, beginning to climb up the first steps. Above her, the Gamemaster started to cackle. She hated that sound.

"Hohoho, am I now? Does this feel like a trick to you?" He raised the orb, launching another giant torrent of water.

This time, instead of dodging, Rien pressed herself against the steps, taking the attack.

"Rei!" Happy cried.

The girl stayed firm, letting the water drench over her. It was freezing cold and powerful, but not strong enough.

" **Variable manipulation: Weight."**

The brunette made herself too heavy for the water to knock her down.

"What's this~? Seems like I'm not the only one using tricks."

"At least I'm not pretending to take people's magic!" Rien called back. "That wasn't just some random wizard's water magic, that was _Juvia's_ water."

"Eh?!" Happy exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible?!"

"Everything here is powered by my memories." The girl panted, dripping wet. She let go of her last spell and continued to move. "And that includes the magic. Every attack he's used is an attack I've seen before, used by somebody I know."

"Very good. HohohoHOHAHAHA! SINCE YOU'RE SO CLEVER, LET'S SEE HOW YOU FARE AGAINST DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC!"

"That's Natsu's roar." Happy warned nervously. He could tell by the Gamemasters stance and the way he held the orb in front of his mouth what was to come. Meanwhile, Rien continued to climb.

" **Variable manipulation: Fire Retardant."**

Heat poured over the young girl's body. Water steamed off her and fire licked at her skin, burning her in patches. However, her body remained intact and she kept moving. Happy could only watch, staring in fear at the blisters and bruises that formed on her skin.

"How are you doing this? What are you~?" The Gamemaster asked, twitching with aggravation.

"I may not be able to topple buildings or beat a hundred enemies at once." Rien groaned, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "But I am clever, and I can change the probability of our outcome. You want me to burn, but I want to climb. So I made it happen."

"Impossible." The jester raised his orb, releasing a lion made of light. Loke's Regulus impact.

Rien took the hit, using her weight spell again to keep herself from bowling down the stairs. It felt like being hit by a train. The mage coughed, spitting blood onto the steps.

"Y-you can do it Rei! Don't give up!" Happy cheered, tears streaming down his cheek. Rien wiped the red from her lips and gave him a thumbs up, hoping to make him smile.

"STOP IT!" The Gamemaster screamed. Rien ways already ¾ of the way up the stairs. He fired pink fluff, thinking that Aries Wool Magic might stop her in her tracks.

" **Variable Manipulation: Slick."**

The wool came flying at Rien, but each piece kept sliding onto the ground.

"NO!"

A torrent of Sagittarius' arrows came towards her.

" **Variable Manipulation: Sturdy"**

The arrows nicked at her skin, drawing blood, but none broke through beyond surface wounds.

Rien reached the platform. She was bleeding, burned, damp, and bruised, but she refused to give up. The pain was nothing compared to the possible loss. She needed to end this before one of the others lost their game.

The Gamemaster raised an arm, holding the fencing sword of the thief she and Lucy had recently caught.

Rien stepped forward, the tip poking into her stomach.

"Y-you're a monster." The giant man was shaking in fear, sweat falling in beads down his body. Rien's eyes flashed. She stepped forward again, the blade sinking into her flesh.

"I told you before, you lost the moment challenged me. **Variable Manipulation: Velocity!"**

Happy could only watch in horror as Rien's body propelled forward, driving the blade through her body until the hilt was pressed against her stomach. Blood splattered across the platform. In the Gamemaster's moment of horror and shock, the injured girl was able to reach out and take the magic orb.

"NOOOO!" He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"I won't end the game yet." Rien murmured. "It's not over until the others make it here safely."

"Are you okay?" Happy was sobbing, flying down to the broken girl on the platform.

"Remember, this isn't real." The brunette tried to comfort him, but she choked on her own blood, ruining the effect. "My ph-physical body isn't harmed."

Happy whimpered, but he was too scared that touching her would only worsen her pain.

"D-don't worry. I may not be able to end the game, but I can change the rules. The others will be here soon."

* * *

Natsu was having a hard time defeating Wynn. The wyvern was staying up in the sky just out of his reach, and if he tried to jump in the air, he had no idea if or where vines were coming from until they had already smashed him into the ground. He never realized how much he relied on his hearing before. Not to mention, for every hit he managed to get in, Wynn came back with at least three.

" _Natsu!"_

"Rei?" The teen asked, only knowing he had actually spoken due to the vibration of his vocal cords in his throat.

" _Listen carefully, I'm changing the game. All you need to do is tap Wynn on the forehead and you'll be able to pass through. Also, he has a blind spot under his belly."_

"Thanks, Rei! I owe you one!"

Natsu took off, a new goal in mind. He preferred not having to beat Wynn to a pulp anyway.

* * *

Lucy cradled three gold keys in her hands, examining each one.

Aries.

Loke.

Sagittarius.

" _Lucy, are you there?"_

"Rei!" The girl cried happily. "Where are you?"

" _I've won my final game. Listen, you need to know that this isn't real. Whatever choice you make here won't have any effect on your keys in the real world."_

"I can keep all my spirits." Lucy sighed, smiling with relief. Still… how could she choose which one to break? What would that say about her bond with the spirit who's key she chose to destroy?

" _Drop them, close your eyes, and chose at random."_

Of course! The option was simple, especially since her keys would be fine once she got out of here. At that moment, Lucy felt so grateful to have Rien in her life. The blonde let her eyes flutter close.

She dropped the keys, knelt down, and lifted one into her hands.

Here goes nothing.

* * *

Erza sat cross-legged in front of the dolls. She didn't know what to do.

" _Erza, remember what I said. He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day. Just because you leave some of them here, doesn't mean you can't come back later. You will be able to save them."_

"Rei…" Erza muttered. That had to have been Rei's voice. Was she actually there, or was that a figment of her imagination? The red-haired woman waited a few moments in silence, but nothing else happened.

She mulled over Rien's words carefully. Sometimes, it was okay to run away, as long as you promised to come back. Her eyes scanned over the dolls.

She knew what to do. Taking a deep breath, Erza reached out to pick up one of the dolls.

* * *

Gray stood at the entrance to the town, an icy mist gathering around his body. He wouldn't let either place be destroyed. He'd fight the demon himself if he had to.

" _Gray. Sometimes, there isn't a 'right choice' and we have to accept that some things are out of our hands. The demon killed the town, let something else make the choice of who lives for you."_

Rei.

The wizard grit his teeth. It was a horrible feeling, to know that some people might die and he couldn't do anything, but Rien reminded him that this was a game. The Gamemaster was the one doing all of this, not him. And if he wanted to make that asshole pay, then he needed to get out of here first. Maybe then, he could get the Gamemaster to stop the demon before it ever reached the town.

Gray found a coin on the ground and grabbed it.

"Heads for the school, tails for the apartment." He decided.

He flicked the coin into the air.

* * *

Rien gasped, falling to the ground. The adrenaline was fading fast, and she was growing dizzy from the blood loss. She'd barely had time to say something to Erza before she was rushing through a sentence for Gray.

"Rei!" Happy cried, trying to keep the girl from falling to the ground. Her eyelids felt heavy. The girl coughed, drawing more blood from her lips.

"C'mon guys." Happy sobbed. "Where are you?"

"Th-they'll come H-happy." Rien wheezed.

Moments after she said it, corridors began opening around the pedestal.

"EVERYONE, HURRY!" The exceed cried. Natsu appeared first, looking a bit worse for wear. Then Lucy, Erza, and Gray, who appeared to be under some kind of inner turmoil despite not having taken physical damage.

"They're here Rei. They're here." Happy sobbed.

"Oi, Happy, what's- Natsu stopped short, eyes catching Rien's form.

"What happened!" Lucy cried, staring at the pedestal. The stairs had disappeared, making it impossible for her to get to the top. She felt queasy just looking. There was something piercing through Rien's stomach and she and Happy were sitting in what appeared to be a puddle of Rien's blood…

"Th-they w-won. Th-the g-game-" Rien hacked, spewing blackish red liquid on her chest.

"You idiot, stop talking!" Gray shouted, also beginning to cry.

"Save your energy!" Erza yelled, feeling water gather under her own lids. Rien ignored them, clutching the orb to her chest. She had to end the game no matter what.

Using the last of her strength, Rien yelled.

"THIS GAME IS OVER!"

* * *

When Rien came back to herself, her entire body was convulsing.

' _What is this? What's going on?'_

"Grab her arms and hold her head down!"

' _Is that Erza?'_

The girl felt her head be placed onto someone's lap, and two people holding down her arms. Someone else was at her feet. What were they doing? Why was this happening?

' _Convulsions. Sweating. Rapid Heartbeat. Cold. Irregular breathing. Dizziness. I'm going into shock'._ The brunette realized.

"Rei, can you hear us?! Rei!"

"Her body is glowing, what is she doing?!"

"I think she's trying to figure out what's wrong!"

' _Why am I going into shock? We were playing a game? No, the Gamemaster. That's right. I found him. And we played the games against him. I broke my hand. Then I jumped off a cliff and… did I fight him? He used stolen magic- no. He used magic from my memories. Juvia's water. Natsu's fire. Wynn's vines. Loke's Regulus magic. Arie's wool. Sagittarius' arrows.'_

"Rei, you did it! We aren't there anymore!"

' _Happy? Right. I helped everyone. We won the game. It's over. I'm back. There must be a dissociation between my body and my mind. The pain was real, but there aren't any physical wounds.'_ Even though she had acknowledged this, her body was still reacting.

"There are no wounds, see? No sword in your stomach or anything!" She felt a weight land on her abdomen where the sword had pierced through her.

' _That's right. There's nothing there. Nothing happened. It was all in my mind.'_

Rien shot up, gasping for air. Her body was still trembling, but her other symptoms were slowly coming to a stop. Her eyes flickered back and forth. Gray was on one side of her while Natsu was on the other. The pinkette moved forward, keeping her from falling with one hand on her shoulder and the other on her back. Happy was sitting on her lap, tears falling from his eyes. Erza was also near her feet, so she guessed Lucy must be behind her. Wynn was off to the side, keeping the Gamemaster trapped above the ground in one of his vines.

"W-W-We-I-I"

"Shhhh. Relax. Everything is okay now." Erza whispered, wiping a damp strand of hair from the girl's cheek. She smiled warmly. "You did well."

Natsu helped guide the girl back so that she was once again using Lucy's thighs as a pillow. Scarily quiet, the teen got up and headed over to the Gamemaster.

"N-Natsu-" Rien groaned, trying to stop her temporary teammate. However, she was ignored. Lucy ran a thumb across the brunette's wet cheek, watching to see what the dragon-slayer was going to do next.

"Wynn, let him down," Natsu growled. The Wyvern did as asked, lowering the vines he'd wrapped the Gamemaster in. The man's feet had barely touched the ground before Natsu was driving his fist to the man's chin in a strong uppercut, his head snapping back and his body sailing to the ground. The teen followed, picking him up by the front of his shirt and holding him high above his head.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." The wizard growled.

"Because-because I'm already dead!" The Gamemaster exclaimed triumphantly. He poked out his tongue, just enough for them to see the blue pill resting on the tip. Natsu tried to snag it, but before he could the jester had already flicked it back inside his mouth and swallowed the deadly tablet.

"HohohoHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~" His laughter rung out into the night, loud and insane, but was abruptly cut off as he began foaming from the mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head, followed by his body going limp.

The Gamemaster was dead.

Natsu dropped him, horrified and disgusted by the dark turn of events. Like a zombie, he made his way back over to the group and sunk to his knees beside Rien. The girl looked up at him, eyes cloudy, but there was no judgment amongst their depths. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"This is… unfortunate." Erza's emotions were carefully hidden. Being S-class, this wasn't the first time she had seen death on a job. Fairy Tail generally tried not to kill, but sometimes death was inevitable, and here it was definitely out of their hands.

Gray ran a hand through his hair. "How are we supposed to give everyone's magic back now?" He didn't feel sorry for the man at all. Not after the torture he'd put them all through, Rien especially.

"He never took it. Everything you saw was from my memories. There must be some kind of cognitive block." Rien rasped. Lucy, noting her struggle, brought a bottle of water to her lips.

"You can tell us about it later. For now, you need to rest." Lucy scolded.

"Gray and I will bring him to the coroner's office in town and explain what happened. The magic council will handle it from there. Lucy, Natsu, Happy, please pack up camp. Rien, you need to rest." Erza called out orders. She knew her team was shaken, but the quicker they took care of everything the quicker they could go. The first train for Magnolia would be leaving in a little over two hours, and she knew everyone would want to be on it getting as far away from here as possible.

Erza and Gray departed after wrapping the Gamemaster's body in one of the sheets Erza packed, using her wagon to wheel him into town. That left Lucy and Natsu to disassemble the camp. Happy, still shaken from having to watch Rien go through the torture, decided to stay on her lap. The brunette managed to prop herself on a log, arms loosely wrapped around him. Wynn laid down beside her.

"So... we really weren't any use after all, huh?" Lucy asked, her voice wavering. "In the end, it was you who had to save us."

"Logically speaking, that is correct." Rien agreed. She tilted her head back, watching the sun rise over the treetops. "But I'm glad you were there. You gave me the strength to keep going even when I wanted to give up. If it weren't for you, I would have been overwhelmed by the pain and stopped fighting. Not to mention someone had to fight the Landwyrm. The one the Gamemaster thought was a Leviathan."

"Don't talk so much. You need to focus on getting better." Natsu scolded, coming over to sit beside her. He'd finished his part; all that was left was for Lucy to pack up her sleeping bag. Rien looked over him seriously.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't care that he died if that's what you're asking," Natsu grumbled, kicking a rock in the dirt. He shifted his body to face her, expression filled with concern and another emotion the brunette couldn't identify. "But I do care about what he did to you."

Rien's eyes widened as Natsu reached forward, pulling the girl into his arms. He rested his forehead against her shoulder, breathing deeply. The brunette's eyes softened. She still kept her arms around Happy, but she did let her weight lean into his side. When Lucy was done she came over to join them, stealing one of Rien's hands to hold in her own and also rested her head on the girl's free shoulder. All four of them needed comfort.

That's how Erza and Gray found them when they got back. When Rien shakily made her way to her feet, Gray came over and pulled her into a sideways hug, whispering that he was glad she was okay. Erza also hugged her gently, promising they would meet up later when everyone reached Magnolia.

No one was ready to be alone.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Told you guys that was going to get a bit dark… Rien will explain later where everything they saw in her mind came from, and also how to help the mages that 'lost' their magic. I'm sure people are wondering where she's seen Juvia's magic before, huh? I do feel bad about putting her through that torture, but it was necessary. For one, I think the way she handled it shows a lot about her personality. For another, I wanted to emphasize more what her magic is all about. If that were Natsu, he probably would have blocked everything with fire and been virtually fine. But Rien's magic isn't offensive, so she couldn't do that. Yeah, she manipulated some things about her body, but it's not like she has a shield or it made her indestructible either. Plus she had to pick one variable at a time. I also let Lucy summon Virgo before because she told Rien about all her keys, maybe even introduced her to some, so she would have known what Virgo looked like. About the Gamemaster's death, I feel like Fairy Tail has probably seen more death than the show let on. There are certain situations where people couldn't have survived. Anyway, things will get lighter again in the next chapter. See you there!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10 ~ 10 Ways to Recover After a Job**_

Rien had slept again on the flight home at Natsu's insistence. The brunette could hardly believe it had only been 26 hours since they first left.

Wynn wasn't happy that he couldn't go with them after they made it back to Magnolia; he wanted to care for his pack. However, he understood that he couldn't be seen by people yet. With little prompting from Rien, he flew off to the forest to find somewhere to rest.

Natsu helped Rien walk back to her apartment. Not only was she exhausted from staying up all night and going into shock, but she'd also depleted her magical containers. She'd been stubborn about not wanting to be carried, so she had one arm thrown over Natsu's shoulder with his arm around her waist, half dragging her through the streets. A few people stopped to look at them, but it wasn't the first time they had seen tired wizards stumbling through the town so they were quickly forgotten. When they finally made it to the door, Rien passed the key to Natsu.

"I feel like death." She groaned, shuffling inside. Natsu came in as well, putting the keys on her living room table for her. He sat on her couch, letting his head rest against the cushions.

Rien thought maybe he wanted to make sure she got to bed before he left, so she grabbed a maroon fairy tail sweatshirt Mira had given her along with black sleeping shorts and made her way into the bathroom. She really needed to take a shower. The girl undressed and rinsed her body as quickly as she could, moving through the motions on autopilot. Shampoo. Conditioner. Bodywash. When she was done, she turned off the water and toweled off. The brunette couldn't be bothered with blow drying, instead pulling up as much of her short hair as she could gather and tying it up into a half-bun.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, Natsu was sound asleep in her bed which he must have pulled down while she was gone. Rien smiled softly, going over to sit on the side he wasn't occupying.

"Natsu." She whispered, gently shaking his shoulders. The dragon-slayers eyes fluttered open, looking up at her tiredly.

"Are you going home or did you want to stay here?"

"I'll stay" He yawned. Natsu scooted back and lifted the covers on Rien's side. The girl blushed, but she really was too tired to be embarrassed and her bed had never looked more comfortable. Rien slipped under the blankets, pulling them up to her chest. She sighed contently as she snuggled into her pillows. It was extra warm thanks to Natsu's body heat.

Just when she was about to fall asleep, she heard Natsu whisper to her.

"Rei?"

"Mmhmm?" She hummed.

"Can I hold you?"

Her heart skipped a beat.

She was too exhausted to use her magic to understand his reasoning, though she figured it probably had to do with the traumatic experience they had just gone through. Rien wasn't a particularly touchy-feely person, but if it made Natsu feel better, what was the harm? Besides, she slept against him when flying on Wynn. How different could it be?

"Y-yeah."

Natsu scooted closer, circling an arm around her waist. Then he gently tugged her backward until her back pressed snuggly against his chest. His other arm rested just above her head on the pillow. Due to the position, one of his legs ended up between hers. Rien sighed contently. She was wrong. It was a lot different than sleeping on Wynn because Natsu was comfortable too and there was no risk of falling. This was better.

Seconds later, both teens were sound asleep.

* * *

The brunette was only half awake when she came to again. Nothing had changed in the time she was asleep. If anything, she and Natsu had moved closer, his head resting on top of hers and his hand sprawled across her stomach.

There was a knock on the door.

Rien sighed. She didn't want to move.

Another knock.

Well, she didn't want to leave them outside either. The mage tried to sit up, only for Natsu's arm to tighten around her.

"Don't go." He mumbled.

"It's Lucy and the others." She whispered back, wiggling up into a sitting position. "I'll be right back." Natsu's arm thumped against the mattress in a sign of protest. Rien ignored him, quietly heading for her front door.

"Hi guys." She whispered, letting them in. The curtains were drawn and all the lights were off, giving just enough light for them to see. "Natsu's here too."

"He likes sneaking into other people's beds." Lucy grumped. "You'll get used to it."

"Er, right. Wh-what are all of you doing here?" She asked, noting Happy, Erza, and Gray behind the other girl. All of them had changed into more comfortable clothes, with Erza in a set of pink pajamas, Gray in black sweatpants, and Lucy in white sleeping shorts with a matching silk slip top.

"After missions like that one, no one likes being alone." Gray explained. "So we usually crash in Lucy's apartment."

"I never volunteered." The blonde added.

"Would you mind if we stayed here with you tonight?" Erza asked, despite the fact it was only three in the afternoon. Everyone was exhausted.

"Yeah, of course. Let me set up places for you to sleep."

"Thanks, Rei." Happy mumbled, floating past her in the doorway. The brunette only nodded in return. She should have enough space for everyone. The small mage asked Gray for help in moving the glass table away from the couch, then pulled out the bottom section of the larger side and propped it up, turning the piece of furniture into a double sized bed. Rien jogged to the closet inside her bathroom, pulling out extra sheets and blankets which she gave to the other girls to use on the couch. She then went back to the closet again, this time pulling out an extremely cushiony bed roll for Gray. Happy had already flopped onto her meditation pillow so she decided to leave him there, gently placing a blanket on the cat as well.

"It's like a cloud." Gray groaned in appreciation, landing face first on the flexible mattress. Rien giggled, placing a soft green blanket over him.

"Goodnight Gray."

"G'night Rei."

"Thank you for doing this." Erza whispered, gesturing to herself and Lucy. They'd made their bed quickly, already laying under the covers. The celestial mage nodded in agreement. Rien smiled.

"You're very welcome."

When she was sure everyone was content, the brunette made her way back to her bed where Natsu appeared to have already fallen back asleep. It was strange. One week ago, if you'd told her that she'd be welcoming this group of people to sleep in her home and sharing her bed with Fairy Tail's first dragon slayer, she would have called you insane. And yet, in this moment, everything felt right. Rien smiled to herself, carefully crawling back into bed so as not to wake up the male already there. However, as soon as she settled Natsu drew her back to his side. This time they were facing one another, with Rien's hands pressed against his chest and his one hand covering her lower back while the other one went back above the pillow. Rien blinked up at him, noticing him checking that this was okay with half-lidded eyes. In response she ducked her head down, resting it against his collarbone. Her cheeks heated, but she scooted forward anyway, entangling her legs with his. She couldn't help it. She felt so drawn to him, and it was so comfortable that she didn't really care what it looked like or what it implied. She just wanted to be in this moment, with these people, wrapped up in Natsu's arm.

This time, instead of two Fairy Tail mages sleeping soundly in the apartment, there were six.

* * *

The next time Rien woke up, it was dark outside. Natsu was also awake, his head tilted back to look at the stars outside her window. The girl's eyes glowed, alerting Natsu's attention while she checked if the others were still asleep. They were.

"Hi." She greeted, rolling onto her back. Her voice sounded scratchy from sleep. Rien stretched her arms above her head, feeling her muscles crack with a satisfying ' _pop'_. "Have you been awake long?"

"No."

"If you want food or something, you can grab anything from the kitchen." The girl whispered, hoping not to wake the others.

"I'm okay." Natsu moved his arm, propping his head up to look at Rien better. "Do you feel better now?"

Rien blushed slightly. "I-I'm alright Natsu. My magical containers are currently 65% restored, and my body is well rested. I should be up and ready to go back to the guild tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to write up a report on our mission." As she spoke, Rien reached under the bed and opened the first shelf which contained her laptop.

"That creepy bastard can rot in hell."

The brunette shook her head. "You don't know what his life was like. He could have been mentally ill or abused. For what it's worth, I don't think this was his plan at all."

That caught his attention. "You don't?"

"No. For one thing, that magic orb must have been an extremely pricy object, and from the state of his hair and cleanliness, I could tell he was middle to lower class. Even the costume was cheep. A man like him could work his entire life and still never be able to make a purchase that expensive."

"And you could tell this by his hair?"

"Well, yeah. It was greasy but brushed, so I assume he owns cheap shampoo. Considering his outfit was clean and lacked debris from the forest, he must have had a home somewhere where in the very least he was able to shower and sleep. I'll be adding in my report that they should search the outskirts of Persimineon and other nearby towns. Most likely, his home will be in the middle of the woods."

"I don't get it." Natsu sighed, flopping back into the pillows. Rien giggled.

"You don't have to get it. My magic is for figuring stuff out, and your magic is for beating people up."

"Sounds like a good team to me." The pinkette observed, folding his hands behind his head. "Next time, I'll be there when you figure it out so you don't have to take all the hits afterwards. Like you said, beating up the bad guys is my job."

The girl frowned. "That wasn't your fault. I was the one who let us get seperated. At that point, there was nothing you could have done. Please try not to dwell on it."

"Yeah." Natsu whispered, though he clearly didn't agree with her assessment. Rien sighed, continuing on with her report.

"Hey, Rei?"

"Hmm?"

"If the Gamemaster is gone, how are we gonna help all those other wizards?" The slayer asked carefully.

"I was wondering the same." Added another voice. Rien turned, seeing Erza sit up in her bed. Beside her, Lucy was waking up as well.

"Ah, I'll explain. I'm sure you all remember how I woke up in shock? That was because even though my body wasn't actually wounded, my mind thought it was and continued to register the pain. It was part of the orbs magic. It influences a dissociation between the body and mind. All those wizards are still very capable of using magic. However, their mind doesn't _believe_ they can, therefore making it impossible for them to use. I'm recommending the council provide at least ten sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy to all the Gamemasters previous victims. The therapist should be able to help them repair their distorted cognitions and modify their emotions and thoughts on the experience towards a more realistic light, allowing them access to their magic once more."

"So in the end, it was just another mind trick." Gray summarized, having woken up just before Rien's explanation. The girl nodded, even though she knew Gray couldn't see her in the dark.

"That's right. Everything you and they experienced was derived from the mind. Nothing physical actually occurred. However, that doesn't make it any less real. I ask that you not disregard the importance and fragility of the mind. Some of the deepest wounds are the ones we can't see."

"You said everything we saw was from your memories." Erza spoke up. "When I was separated from everyone, I ended up in a girls bedroom. There were dolls of everyone but you."

Rien hummed. "Was the room yellow and brown?"

"Yes."

"That was my bedroom in my aunt's home. As for the dolls, I imagine those are the ones I saw in the Fairy Tail gift shop. I wasn't there because I don't have a doll. I'm not exactly a popular enough member to sell merchandise of."

"You definitely will be soon, I'm sure of it." Lucy reassured, causing Rien to laugh.

"Personally, I'm not sure I want people I don't know to have depictions of me in their home."

"Aww, you don't think it's flattering?" The blonde teased.

"Most of our sales are made to men and women between the ages of 35-50. What do you think they're doing with objects that have our members in skimpy clothing?"

"Okay, eww~"

"What're you talking about?" Natsu asked curiously, while Gray burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Happy wondered sleepily.

"F-Forget it!" Erza ordered, her face bright red.

Rien giggled. "Alright, anyone else?"

"I was in a town." Gray spoke up. "And there was a demon flying towards us. I had to save either the school or the apartment complex."

"Well, I assume the town is also the one where my aunt lives." Maroon eyes flashed. "And the demon must have been one of Mira's demon souls. Or, at least, the demon she defeated for it."

"Have you seen Mira take a soul before?" Lucy's eyes lit up. Rien shivered.

"Yes. Her Halphas one. It was… not an experience I wish to repeat. Once was more than enough."

"So Mira really has beaten demons before?" Natsu asked, his eyes lighting up. "That's so cool~ Now I wanna fight her!"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Gray snorted. "You wouldn't last five minutes."

"No one asked you Ice Freak!"

"Anyone could have told you that Crazy Flame Spewer!"

"Pervy Popsicle!"

"Dragon Freak!"

" **Enough."** Erza demanded, shaking with rage. The two boys gulped, shrinking into the cushions of their respective beds.

"I know! Rei, you can tell us! Can Natsu beat Mira?" Happy asked, flying over to see the girl. Rien gulped.

"Erm, based on what I know of Natsu's and Mira's magic, I would say it's currently…. 4%. And that chance has nothing to do with a contest of strength or magic."

"Hey!" Natsu cried. He reached over, gently bopping her on the head with a closed fist. "Have a little faith, would you?!"

"I-It has nothing to do with faith!" Rien defended, shrinking away with a blush on her cheeks. "It's the facts Natsu. You aren't at her power level yet! That being said you could still win… I'm just not going to tell you how."

"Good. When I defeat her, it's going to be with my own magic!" Natsu promised, punching his fist into his open palm. Rien bit her lip. That probably wouldn't happen for another…oh, three years at least. But she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Well uh, any other questions?"

"What about the cliffside? And the forest I was in?" The pinkette asked, calming down a bit.

"Tillman's forest. It's a really beautiful place you know. I'll have to show you guys sometime."

"I was in the night sky standing on a cloud, but I think that's pretty self explanatory." Lucy shrugged.

"Oh, I have one! When did you see Juvia's magic?" Happy asked curiously. Rien coughed, looking away.

"I-I th-think that's a story f-for another t-time."

"How come you're so nervous~?" Natsu grinned, leaning closer to her so that their noses were practically touching, wiggling his eyebrows. Rien squeaked, nearly tumbling off the bed. Of course, with her athletic ability, she fell into a backwards somersault and rolled onto her feet instead.

"I-I- umm- bathroom!" The girl turned, practically flying into the other room. Everyone stared at him.

"What?" The dragon-slayer wondered, cocking his head to the side. Lucy shook her head.

"Nothing. You just, well, you seem to be getting really close with Rei is all."

Natsu blinked. "Isn't that the point? To be closer with her so she won't leave? We are her family after all."

"Okay, no. That is not at all what Lucy meant." Gray sighed. He suddenly felt like a parent scolding his child, except he didn't even like Natsu all that much. "You just seem to be in contact with her a lot."

"Yeah." Natsu shrugged. "So?"

"You don't do that with me or Lucy." Erza pointed out.

"You're armor hurts and Lucy kicks me."

"What about the other girls in the guild? Like Lisanna?"

"Everyone's busy at the guild."

"I give up." Gray sighed, throwing up his hands. He flopped onto his back, shutting his eyes. "He's hopeless."

"What?"

"I just realized it's literally ten thirty-four at night." Rien spoke as she came back into the room, seeming much calmer than before. Though she did hesitate before getting back into bed and throwing the comforter over her legs. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Now that you mention it…" Lucy spoke, placing her hands on her stomach which grumbled loudly. She sweat dropped. "I'm starving."

"Yes. I would also like food." Erza agreed, blushing slightly. Rien hummed.

"Okay. I don't have much to eat here, but I can run over to the pizza place down the road. They're closing now, but I know them well enough that they shouldn't mind making a pizza or two for us before they go. Is cheese okay with you guys?" The brunette got up again, silently mourning the loss of heat. She went into the bathroom, leaving the door open this time as she threw on a pair of gray sweatpants over her shorts and brushed out her hair. "I don't want to make them go too out of their way."

"Pizza is cool with me." Gray called back. The others agreed. Rien nodded, grabbing her wallet off the table as she headed for the door.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes tops. Feel free to grab something to drink from the fridge or turn on the tv. Anything is fine."

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Erza asked. Rien smiled at her concern.

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you though. See you soon!"

With that, the brunette was out the door.

* * *

Rien returned twenty minutes later as promised with two pizzas in hand. It was nice to see the father and son who ran the business, and they'd been more than thrilled to see her. She talked about her last mission while they cooked and even told them about the recent developments in Fairy Tail. The older of the two had grinned at that, saying he'd been about ready to march down there himself if Fairy Tail hadn't shaped up soon. It warmed Rien's heart, and she tipped a little extra for their trouble on the way out.

Everyone was pretty much exactly where she'd left them when she got back, except now the TV was on and they were watching some cop show with cases about non-wizards.

"Pizza's here!" She announced cheerfully. "They even put sardines on one slice for you happy."

"FISH~!" The cat cheered, racing towards her. Rien laughed.

"Hold on, let me put it down first." The girl placed the pizzas on her glass table along with the paper plates she'd been given. She put two slices on everyone's plates excluding Happy's one and handed them around with paper towel. After those two slices, if someone wanted more they could grab it themselves. Rien went back to the bathroom again to take off her sweatpants before settling back in bed.

Everyone seemed content. They spent the rest of the night marathoning the show, finding that they were too awake now to go back to sleep. It was fun, talking casually and getting to know one another better. Rien learned a lot about the group, such as where Gray's stripping habit originated from and the novel Lucy was writing. Once the sun started to rise, they agreed to go home and change before meeting back up at the guild. Rien would be helping with the morning shift if Mira let her, followed by the afternoon shift with Erza again. It was sweet how excited the red head was getting about preparing food for everyone.

She wondered if this was what daily life was like for the rest of the guild.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Just a little bit of recovery after the mission and some fluffy moments. Don't worry, I PROMISE you will one day learn about Rien's encounter with Juvia, but today is not that day. Keeps you wondering, doesn't it? Also, the rest of the team is catching on to Natsu's behavior. Is he really as Naive as they seem to think?**_

 _ **Next arc should be a little more light hearted and also include a lot more characters than just Team Natsu. I do have to work out some of the plot though, but I think it'll be fun. And Rien is going to develop a… special relationship with someone else in the guild. Can't wait for that! See you then!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11 ~ 11 Ways to Find a Business Partner**_

The next few days were a quiet affair compared to the previous week, which Rien was extremely grateful for. She even spent a night camping out with Wynn in the forest around Magnolia, much to the dismay of the rest of the guild who'd panicked when she'd suddenly disappeared. Following that event, Natsu spent the next two days sleeping in Rien's bed with her. She'd fall asleep alone, only to wake up with Natsu's arms wrapped around her from behind (Happy kept sleeping on her meditation pillow). To be honest, she'd sensed each time he came in, but she decided to keep quiet. Deep down, she actually wanted him to be there. She'd often wake up with their legs tangled and her back against his chest. Natsu was awake before her both times, so they'd talk for a good few minutes until she decided she needed to get up. The first time they ate breakfast together in her home, and the second time they got breakfast at the guild. Rien didn't want to say it was a regular occurrence because patterns needed at least three repeating segments to be called such, and yet she had somehow felt this was already becoming routine that she could quickly get used too.

Currently, she was wiping down tables on the second floor when the Master's head poked out his office door.

"Rei my dear, could you come here for a minute?"

That was another thing. The first day they'd come back, Team Natsu had immediately told everyone they were to call her Rei from now on along with revealing what her name really meant, and no one had called her Rien since. The girl sighed, setting her rag down. Today she was wearing a brown suspender dress with a skater skirt over a maroon tee-shirt, sheer tights with roses, brown flats, and her red bandana tied with a bow in her hair.

"Coming Master."

She was surprised to see that Laxus was already there when she walked in, arms crossed, giving the impression he was waiting for someone to get to the point of whatever they were saying. Presumable Makarov. He nodded to her in acknowledgment.

"Please take a seat."

"A-Alright." Rien agreed. She couldn't help but be a bit nervous around Laxus, though only because she'd never talked to him before.

"Now then. As you both know, I am getting up there in years."

"No shit." Laxus gruffed. Makarov scowled, enlarging his hand to smack Laxus in the back of his head. For his part, the dragon slayer only growled in response.

"As I was saying, I am getting older. Fairly soon, I plan to begin my retirement. Not to worry though, I'll still be around. I just won't be the master anymore."

"Ah, so you're basically saying you don't want to do the paperwork or go to meetings anymore." Rien interpreted. Makarov began to sputter while Laxus laughed.

"Man, I like ya kid." The lightning mage teased, ruffling her hair. Rien frowned, swatting his hand away.

"H-Hey! I'm only five years younger than you!"

"So you're a kid."

"You don't look at Lucy likes she's a kid." Rien fired back without thinking. Laxus' face grew red in embarrassment while Makarov fell out of his chairs, tears streaming down his face in silent laughter. Rien's eyes widened.

"Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-!"

"It's fine." Laxus cut off, a wicked grin on his face. "But be aware that I will get you back."

"I-I don't think that's necessary…" She trailed off, noting the dragon-slayers shit-eating grin.

"Oh, it's necessary."

"This is going wonderfully," Makarov said, sounding pleased. They hadn't even noticed him getting back in his chair. "Which is great, because when I retire I would like you both to run the guild, together. Of course, Laxus will be the Guild Master, but you know how to do the paperwork Rei and I'd feel better if I knew he had your help."

The two blanked.

"M-Master, I don't even know if I'll be _staying_ in the guild…."

"Are you saying you don't think I can handle it?"

"To be frank, I haven't done half of the actual paperwork from the last ten years." The older Dreyer deadpanned.

Rien and Laxus fell out of their seats.

"WHAT THE _ACTUAL FUCK_ IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"HOW ARE WE STILL A GUILD!" Rien wailed.

Makarov chuckled, kicking his feet onto his desk. "As part of your training, I'd like you both to get Fairy Tail up to legal standards."

"You bastard…." Laxus growled.

"Well, I guess I could help for a little while…" The brunette sighed, twisting her bo-staff bracelet. She didn't want Fairy Tail to get shut down, even if she wouldn't be a part of it by then.

"Perfect! And since you'll be spending so much time together, I'm sending you on a trip! It'll be a bonding experience!"

The two exchanged a look.

"Why?" Laxus asked, brows furrowing.

"Because you're going to be business partners. Therefore, it's critical to the survival of the guild that you get along."

"A-again, I'm not sure I'll be staying…"

"Just in case then." Makarov waved off. "So you'll be going to a water park for three days!"

"Old man, that sounds like some kind of romantic getaway." The blonde scowled. Rien's face turned red.

"I-I a-agree. Wh-why do we need to d-do this?"

"It specializes in repairing relationships!"

"Master-" Rien frowned, looking over the brochure on the corner of his desk. "That looks like it's for marriage counseling."

"It is."

Laxus slammed his fist on the table. "We ain't gettin' nor are we married!"

"Well, not romantically, but you may as well be while you're in the guild. Spending a lot of time together, doing work, watching over the guild, scolding the guild members, making sure parties don't get out of hand, keeping the guild hall in working order…" As the master rambled on, Rien leaned towards the male beside her.

"I get the feeling Master doesn't know much about marriage…"

Laxus snorted. "Not a fucking clue."

"And therefore, my point stands!"

"You know what? Fine. If we're going to be buried under a mountain of paperwork for the next five weeks, we might as well have fun first. I could use a break. And alcohol. Lots of alcohol. You in kid?" The lightning slayer looked at her intently.

Rien's eyes flashed. Well, it was likely that they would grow closer, and since she knew the lightning dragon-slayer had a bit of a thing for Lucy (and the other blonde might just feel the same; from her observations at least) there wouldn't be any romantic context. Besides, it could be nice to get away for a little bit, and she loved swimming and water parks in general. Plus, it would be easier to get to know the guild members on a more personal level one mage at a time rather than all at once. It was also a good opportunity to go on vacation, which she hadn't done in a long time.

"A-Alright. Let's do it."

"Perfect!" Makarov exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. "You'll leave tomorrow at eight!"

"We can take the Wyvern, right?" Laxus checked, not fond of getting on a train so early in the morning

"Yeah, of course."

"Thank God."

* * *

Rien wasn't sure what to pack for a not-romantic getaway with her possible business partner and a male who was five years older than herself. For a bathing suit, she decided to bring her usual, which had a red halter top with black rope laced over the chest and holding it together at the back along with black bottoms with ties on the side. She knew it was warm where they were going, so she threw in some shorts and tank tops and her sweatshirt if she got cold. There was also a sundress. After putting her undergarments in, Rien felt ready to go. She'd packed like she was going out with friends, which was exactly what was happening. Laxus. A friend. Hopefully.

"Hey Rei, what's- where are you going?" Cue Natsu climbing in her window. The brunette didn't realize how late it had gotten.

"Oh, Master is sending Laxus and I on a trip," she said absentmindedly, deciding she should bring her own towel as well.

"On a job?" The pinkette asked, a slight edge in his voice.

"No," Rien called back, picking out a beach towel with cherry blossoms on it. "We're going to a water park. It's supposed to be a bonding experience. Really, Master's just trying to bribe us to do paperwork for him. But we figured if he wants to pay for us to go on vacation, we might as well go."

"Is anyone else going?"

"Not that I know of. Are you- N-Natsu!" The mage squeaked when she bumped into the other teen in the doorway. She'd never even heard him move. Natsu's arm reached around her waist, steadying her, though he kept it there even after she regained her balance and stared intently.

"Can we come too?"

"I-I don't-" She tried to step back, but the male wasn't budging. Rien gulped. "I don't know. Y-you can talk to Master Makarov if you want, b-but Laxus and I are leaving on Wynn in the morning."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of that. Why did Laxus get to ride with Rien? That was _his_ place.

"L-Listen, it's j-just for three days, okay? Y-you could take Happy f-fishing or something."

The pinkette stepped back, an easy going grin on his face. There were at least four different reasons for that action, and none of them had to do with fishing. Most likely, he was going to find some way to follow them, and then Lucy, Gray, and Erza would also get involved. Rien sighed. She supposed she should tell Laxus, except that would just ruin his mood before the vacation even started. No, it was better to let him find out on his own. With any luck, they wouldn't be able to reach them even if they did follow. After all, this was couples counseling. Last she checked, none of them were married. In fact, while there was a 92% chance they were going to follow, there was only a 38% chance they would be able to get into the program. Rien had worked with worse odds.

"Rei? Rei?!"

The brunette snapped out of her thoughts. "Erm, sorry, just calculating the uh, weather for our flight tomorrow is all."

Natsu's eyes narrowed slightly, so she gave him her best innocent smile.

"Oooookay. I was asking if you're ready for bed yet."

Rien glanced at herself. She still hadn't changed out of her day outfit.

"I think I'm set with packing, so I'll go get ready now. Are you staying the night?"

"Yes." He answered, already getting settled under the covers. The girl smiled fondly. She decided to leave the bathroom door open so they could talk, knowing Natsu couldn't see her from his angle in the bed while she changed.

"Where's Happy at?"

"Spending the night with Lucy. Since I haven't been in her bed lately, he says there's a lot more room."

"She mentioned you did that. I-Is there a reason you haven't been sleeping there?"

"She kicks me out. You don't." The pinkette sighed, laying back into the pillow. There was a lot more to it than that; more that he couldn't explain yet. Instead, he relaxed into the mattress, listening to the sound of Rien brushing her teeth while taking in her scent. She smelled like chocolate and cinnamon. It was a refreshing change from the fruity smell most of the other girls in the guild had. That or their perfume. Lucy had a hint of vanilla in her scent, which was pleasant, he could admit. Still, it had nothing on the scent of cinnamon and chocolate. It was one more thing on a list of traits he found completely relaxing and compelling about Rien. Like how she knew so much about the guild, how kind she could be, how she took him flying again, how she looked out for everyone even when they didn't know it, how soft and perfect she felt when he held her in his arms…

"I'm shutting off the lights now. Is that okay?"

"Uh huh."

The small girl flicked off the lights and quietly made her way back to the bed. She knew Natsu wasn't asleep, but he had been dozing off a bit. She hoped she hadn't disturbed him.

This time, things went a little differently. Usually, Rien was already feigning sleep when Natsu came in so he just grabbed her like a teddy bear. Currently, he was awake. She felt like they were kind of past the point of asking if snuggling (the word made her blush) was okay. She also felt like she should probably instigate it somehow, except she really wasn't sure how to go about that.

Natsu answered that question for her by opening his arms and waiting expectantly.

The probability mage took a breath. This wasn't a good reason to use magic, right? Would Natsu be offended if she did? He was right there, he'd see her eyes flash. That'd be embarrassing. Uhg. Why was she finding this so difficult? Rien decided she just needed to get it over with. All she needed to do was approach him and he'd adjust her to where he wanted her to be. No sweat. Not a big deal. The girl gulped. She placed her right knee on the bed and pushed herself up there first, so that she was practically kneeling. Then she twisted her body to sit, now in the middle of the bed next to Natsu. Their legs were pressing together with the slightest bit of pressure, which was fairly far off from the entangled way they usually settled. The girl shifted to her side and laid down, resting her head on his shoulder.

' _Okay, you did it. That was fine.'_ She tried to reassure herself. Her heart skipped a beat when the dragon slayer's arms came around her. It wouldn't have been anything new, had he not then rolled her on top of him. The girl's breath hitched. Her head was still resting on his shoulder, but now their chests were pressed together (and of course his vest was open while she had picked a thin cotton racerback). Her body was half falling off his to the side, their legs positioned every-other on the bed. One of her arms had fallen across his torso so that she was now hugging him as well, which was both unfamiliar and nice. Her other arm that was hooked under his had landed by his ear, tickled by soft tufts of pink hair. Her nose brushed against his collar bone. She felt a vibration along with a low growling sound, though it hardly registered as was too busy trying to acclimate to this new position. She could feel his heart beating beneath hers.

Rien had never experienced something so intimate in her life.

Neither had Natsu.

The teens didn't realize they were both holding their breaths until they exhaled at the same time and their breathing began to sync. Rien felt like her heart could leap out of her chest. Her entire body felt tingly and she was almost dizzy from the feeling. Strangely enough, she liked it. Natsu brought her closer, which only served to shift her body upward so that her face was closer to his. They're breath mingled together.

The dragon slayer brought his forehead down and bumped it softly against hers. A sign of affection, similar to what Wynn liked to do.

Did it mean the same thing for dragon slayers and wyverns, or was it entirely different?

* * *

Rien woke up to Natsu climbing out of bed. He'd shushed her, running a hand through her hair while promising she had another half hour to sleep and he'd see her soon. With her magic being so connected to time, she knew he was right. The girl thought nothing of it, going back to sleep.

She'd gotten ready for the day quickly. Since they were going to a water park, she figured she might as well wear her bathing suit. She threw on a faded brown jumper that read ' _I'm probably right'_ on it in white, a gag gift from her aunt, along with a pair of black leggings and red van shoes. She pulled her hair back into a half bun to keep it out of her way while flying and added a red flower clip to it, just to feel like a tourist. It made her smile. A vacation could be fun. And, based on yesterday's data, she and Laxus would get along well too. They were perfectly compatible for friendship.

On her way to meet Laxus out by the field, Rien decided to stop at a pastry shop to grab coffee and muffins. She knew Laxus would have eaten already, and she also knew he'd probably scarfed down leftovers and shitty coffee in about five minutes flat. Since he liked to order banana daiquiris by the poolside in the summer off the fruity drink menu, she figured he'd enjoy a fresh banana crumble muffin. She grabbed herself apple cinnamon, along with a small mocha and a large latte with whole milk for the slayer.

When she arrived at the meeting point, the older mage was already there with a single duffle bag of clothes. The brunette smiled shyly as she approached, holding up the coffee and muffins as a peace offering.

"I thought we could start this vacation off the right way." She explained, passing him his food. Laxus nodded in thanks.

"How'd you know I like banana?"

"Daiquiris."

"You really do pay attention, huh?"

"Well, my magic requires it so…"

"Look, before we go-" The man started, pausing to take a sip of his coffee. Rien could tell this was a serious moment even though he wasn't looking at her. "I just wanted to say that I did notice you. Gramps liked to talk about you all the time, and I knew the difference between your and Mira's food. I thought you were being shy or didn't like talkin' to people or something, so I never approached you. Guess I fucked up and misjudged the situation. Sorry."

"Thank you," Rien answered sincerely. She felt refreshed as she looked at the horizon. "I know it's hard. My magic helps me figure out just what to do and say, as well as others intentions. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that not everyone shares the same luxury. I hold no ill will against you Laxus, and I look forward to working together in the future."

"Anyone ever tell you you sound pretty stiff?" The blonde teased, bumping her lightly. Rien sputtered, though she knew it was his way of saying all was well.

"Perhaps, but I can't help it. My vocabulary often becomes higher level to be more precise when I try to give an explanation due to the importance of articulation with my magic."

"We're on vacation. You don't need magic. Relax, be yourself. Let loose and have fun. You deserve it."

The girl thought about it. Maybe he was right. She didn't need to explain everything all the time. Be casual. Got it.

"I suppose- I mean, sounds good."

Laxus guffawed. "Now you're getting it."

* * *

The flight to their vacation spot was nice. Laxus and Wynn got along fine, not nearly as well as Natsu and Wynn, but the two respected one another which was the most important part. Now, Rien and Laxus were making their way to the hotel where the water park was.

"Random question. If you could do anything on this trip, what would you do?" Laxus asked. He'd taken both bags, despite the girl's protest, walking side by side on the cobblestone streets.

"Well, I'd like to get a tattoo. You can't really go swimming after getting them, so I'd wait for the third day, but, umm, yeah."

"First ink, huh?"

"No. I have one other. It's the chemical structure for serotonin on the back of my right leg, just above the heel. It's shaded with pink and teal."

So the two began to bond over their tattoo experiences, sharing future ideas and placements. It was nice to be able to talk about it that way. Laxus had gotten his when he was only fifteen, tribal in design around his guild mark. Something about loyalty to the guild, which he was ashamed to admit had gone astray for a few years there. Rien didn't judge. Her tattoo was a remind her to live a happy life. Even if her serotonin levels became low at times, as long as she could be happy looking back on her life and hopeful for the next day, she'd be okay.

Finally, they arrived at the hotel. It was grand, luxurious, pristine, and the exact opposite of the Fairy Tail guild.

"Hi, we're here to check in?" Rien spoke, approaching the front desk. The old man running it smiled pleasantly.

"Ah yes. You must be Rien and Laxus Lobelia, correct?"

Laxus' eyes almost popped out of their socket while Rien choked on air, doing her best to hide her laughter. Makarov had made Laxus take _her_ last name. It was priceless.

"Pft- I-I mean, yes. My husband and I would love to see the room you have prepared for us." The brunette smiled cheekily up at her 'husband', wrapping her arms around his bicep. Laxus scowled playfully.

"Of course, here are your room keys. You'll be on the seventh floor, room 712."

"Thanks. C'mon _sweetie._ " Laxus teased, taking the keys. Rein giggled, hoping it came off as a woman in love with her husband rather than two friends trying not to be hysteric at an inside joke.

"Sure thing _hun._ "

It wasn't until the two made it to the elevator and the doors were shut that they let out their laughter.

"You-haha-they're calling you Laxus _Lobelia_."

"If they knew I was a Dreyer, they'd be scared shitless." Laxus boasted.

"Yeah, whatever you say _Mr. Lobelia."_ The true Lobelia teased. She liked this. It was nice, not being around so many people you had to impress. It was like a mission. Fool everyone into thinking Laxus was her husband.

Their room was huge, with gold wallpaper and a single king-sized bed. There were also couches and a seating area, a giant flat screen TV, and even a kitchen area. The bathroom was unnecessarily large and even had a hot tub in it. Rose petals were scattered over their duvet cover, and there was chocolate on the desk by the door. Sitting at the edge of the bed was a schedule of activities planned for them as part of the _couples therapy._

"We're not actually following that, right?" Rien asked, nose crinkled as she read it over. The first day included an initial meeting, followed by trust exercises and two-person rides at the waterpark, but only for half an hour.

"What? No, fuck that. I'm heading to the outdoor bar."

"Banana daiquiri?"

"You know it."

"Well, what are we waiting for? I already have my bathing suit on. I think I just heard a sangria calling my name."

"I like your style. This'll be fun."

* * *

Natsu hadn't meant for such a large vacation crashing party.

Originally, it was going to be him, Lucy, Gray, and Erza. Then, when Mira revealed it was a vacation for _married_ couples (even more infuriating), Juvia loudly proclaimed she would play Gray's wife. When Cana overheard this she decided it would be too funny to pass up, so she picked her own 'pretend' husband for the job too. Erza demanded Natsu pretend to be her husband since she saw him as a sibling, which meant Lucy needed a husband. Raijinshuu refused to leave Laxus with 'all the nutcases' as Evergreen so eloquently put it, which meant they were coming with their own fake spouses. Wendy didn't want to get left behind either, and since they shared blue hair, she was going to pretend to be related to Juvia.

Here's to hoping Laxus didn't kill any of them.

Rien would probably be fine with it though.

Probably.

* * *

 _ **END CHAPTER**_

 _ **A/N: You guys, I seriously can't believe that 11 chapters in I have over 80 follows on this story. It's absolutely amazing and heartwarming to see. I never thought this story would kick off as hard as it has. Love you all, and I'll try not to make the next update so far off. Also, d**_ _ **on't worry. I haven't forgotten about teaching Lucy a second magic. That'll come later. For now, enjoy the hilarity that's about to ensue.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12 ~ 12 Ways to Fake a Marriage**_

Laxus and Rien were having a great time. They'd finish their drinks (Laxus had an additional three), sunned in beach chairs, gone down a few water slides (which were _all_ doubles as per the parks theme), and were currently hanging out in a hot tub swapping stories about the elder's grandfather.

"When I first joined, he tried to tell me there was an official female 'uniform' that we should wear around the guild. I'm sure you can imagine what that looked like." Rien giggled, remembering the barely there skirt-bikini combo.

"He's an old perv under all that wisdom." Laxus answered in good humor. "He once told me that if I could get panty shots of at least fifty women in town, he'd teach me a powerful new spell."

The brunette burst into laughter, holding her sides while the male shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"Did-haha- did you do it?"

"Yup."

"No way!" Rien squeaked, burying her face in her hands. It was a solid two minutes before she composed herself enough to ask her next question. "What spell did he teach you?"

Laxus leaned across the pool, whispering in her ear.

"What the fuck?! Eww!" This time Laxus was the one who couldn't stop laughing at the mortified expression on Rien's face. She was beat red, arms folded across her chest. "I feel violated and I've never even seen it used!"

"Well-"

"Don't you dare!"

The two exchanged a look, bursting into another round of rambunctious laughter.

* * *

"This might be the weirdest thing I've ever seen." Gray muttered, peeking over the fence for the water park. Rien and Laxus were getting along like, well, old friends? A married couple? It was hard to describe. Sometimes the male would lean in close, looking like he was going to make a move, only to pull back a second later with the two of them laughing hysterically.

"I know we should be sneaking in, but it's too hard to look away." Cana murmured, hanging off the arm of her fake husband a.k.a Bixlow.

Each 'couple' was standing together, preparing to sneak in and blend in amongst the other couples in the park. Natsu was (stuck) with Erza, Gray was (also stuck) with Juvia, Lucy had asked Loke, Cana and Bixlow, Elfman and Evergreen, and Freed and Lisanna (who'd come in her sister's stead).

"C'mon, let's go already." Natsu urged, itching to run through the missing section of the fence.

"Hold on Natsu. We need to wait for the right opportunity. And if we all go at once, they'll definitely see us."

The pinkette pouted, crossing his arms at his chest. He _needed_ to get in there, and he _needed_ to get Rien away from Laxus. Immediately.

"Who should go first, Lucy?" Wendy asked?

The celestial mage's eyes twinkled.

* * *

"How much longer do you think it'll be before they realize we know they're there?" Laxus wondered, leaning further into the hot tub. They'd known from the second the other Fairy Tail wizards had approached the fence that they had followed, which was now going on twenty minutes ago. Rien sheepishly admitted she had a feeling they were going to show up, just not that many of them. For his part, Laxus wasn't too mad. He'd decided this would be a good opportunity to mess with them for their constant invasion of privacy.

Rien's eyes flashed. "Assuming they still haven't decided which couple is going in first, I'd say at least another five minutes. Honestly, Wendy would make the best scout."

"At least blondie is trying to strategize," Laxus smirked, a hint of pride in his voice. The brunette giggled.

"And you think you're going to convince me you don't like her."

"Shut up," Laxus mumbled, a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

* * *

"Holy shit, did she just make _Laxus_ blush?" Cana observed in shock.

"What?!"

"No way."

"Laxus-sama never blushes!"

"I fuckin' love this chick."

"I'll kill him."

"It's kind of cute though, don't you think?"

Everyone started bickering then about whether it was cute or not, turning their backs to the hot tub.

* * *

"Now's the time, but we need to move quickly." Rien whispered, eyes fading. Everyone was too preoccupied fighting to pay attention to what they were doing. Laxus nodded.

" **Variable Manipulation: Silence."**

The water made no sound when the two mages hopped out. Rien shivered, snatching her towel. The sun would be going down in an hour, the afternoon heat fading fast. Laxus grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards a large decorative rock that was part of some 'romantic lagoon' area.

"Not this quickly. We want them to see us." The brunette tugged on Laxus' hand, slowing him down. The blonde mage rolled his eyes.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing kid."

"Oh trust me, I do."

* * *

Wait! They've disappeared!" Lisana gasped, turning her attention back to the hot tub. True to her word the hot tub was empty, looking as though no one had ever been there in the first place.

"Juvia did not see anything." The bluenette mumbled, clinging to Gray's arm. The teen sighed.

"That'd be Rien."

"She has a silencing spell," Erza added, staring at where they'd been like it was a crime scene.

"Over there!" Natsu shouted, noticing Rien's back as it slipped behind a rock. He vaulted himself over the fence, not waiting for the others as he ran after them.

"Natsu, wait!"

Natsu rounded the corner, but no one was there. All they'd left in their wake was a burning smell. Lightning.

The pinkette looked at the rock in front of him to find words seared into the fake stone.

 _FUCK OFF - L+R_

The dragon slayer punched the rock in his fury, causing several people to scream at it's shaking.

"DAMN IT!"

* * *

Erm, maybe provoking Natsu wasn't the best idea." Rien offered from their tubes as they floated down a slow-moving river upon hearing the cries of people from the area they'd just left. Apparently, water helped dampen their smells. And, with the river being so crowded, it would be hard for anyone to spot them. Since it was getting dark anyway, the two had decided they may as well head for the hotel.

"He'll be fine. Worse comes to worst Erza'll knock him out." Laxus answered carelessly.

"I suppose so. I wonder where they'll stay tonight, considering our hotel is entirely booked. Most likely, they'll find another hotel in the nearby town. I imagine Natsu and Elfman would prefer camping, but the girls won't allow it."

"So we have until tomorrow before they come after us again." Laxus mused.

"It would seem like it."

The two climbed out of the water at the exit near the hotel and made their way inside. Rien glanced at her male companion out of the corner of her eye, noting that he was thinking intently. She wasn't really sure how to feel about that.

"Something on your mind?"

Laxus smirked. "You're good at predicting people's movements, right?"

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed. "That's my specialty."

"How's about a little payback for trying to ruin our vacation?" He asked deviously.

Rien thought about it for a moment. She knew Laxus loved the guild, so it probably wouldn't be physically damaging. Not to mention, if he was willing to engage in pranks with the other guild members, it could only be good for his reputation. He generally spent most of his time socializing within Raijinshuu, so it'd be nice to see him branch out more. Even Gajeel talked to more people than he did, and Laxus was supposed to be training to be the Master. A guild master who didn't socialize with his guild members wouldn't be a good one at all. Well then, if it was for the sake of the guild…

"I'm in."

* * *

Laxus knew something Rien didn't.

He knew about dragon mates.

Once a male dragon reaches maturity, they'll be able to sense their mate. They only ever take on one mate for life, who they form a special bond with, starting by marking them. For dragon-slayers, mates are found when the male turns eighteen. In his case, he would have to wait until he'd had his Dragon Lacrima in his eye for eighteen years; which was coming up in a few months. He also knew that even though they aren't mature enough yet, once a dragon notices their mate, they'll be drawn to them and grow extremely defensive, seemingly without reason. This was true of Gajeel and Levy (it took the iron-dragon slayer a few months to realize what was happening, but he wasn't surprised on the night of his eighteenth birthday when he ended up in Levy's apartment), himself and Lucy (he'd be damned if he didn't at least let her try to find happiness with someone better first), and now he suspected it was true of Rien and Natsu as well.

At first, he thought maybe Lucy was Natsu's mate, until he realized she was probably his. After all, it was a daily battle in the guild to _not_ approach her, he was always hyper-aware of her smell along with everything she did or said, and anytime another guy was near her there was an overwhelming urge to rip his head off, friend or otherwise. Then he thought it could be Lisana once she came back. The two were close, but Natsu never got defensive over the white-haired girl, nor did he try to spend more time with her than others or visit her in her home.

Everything changed the day Rien became known to the guild. In that one moment, when Natsu finally became aware of her, forces were set in motion. He could see it in the way Natsu chased after her into the woods, or how the pinkette was always watching her when they were both in the guild. He'd heard Lucy telling her girl friends about how Natsu had taken to sleeping in Rien's bed now, cuddling with her at night, and Gray speaking to Loke about catching Natsu and Rien holding hands. Even now, he sensed the fury of the dragon slayer when he had taken Rien and run. Of course, neither of them had any romantic intentions towards one another, but Natsu didn't need to know that.

So tomorrow, they would do _all_ the coupley things on the list, Natsu could torture himself over watching it, and Natsu's anger could torture the rest of the group. And, it would give him the opportunity to see if Lucy would be able to find someone else (or make her jealous).

Laxus glanced over to the other side of the bed where Rien was sound asleep. She'd insisted that the bed was big enough that they could both sleep on it without touching, so she'd taken the right side while he was on the left. He was tempted to grab her anyway if only to get his scent all over her and drive Natsu crazy, but decided the guild didn't need to pay for a wrecked water park in addition to all of their other costs and paperwork.

Tomorrow would be fun.

* * *

The day started with 'sunrise yoga'.

Rien seemed perfectly happy to get up in the morning and stretch her body. Laxus, on the other hand, was completely not okay with it. The other fairy tail members hadn't even arrived yet, because who in their right mind would get up at 6:00 am unless it was vital? The only good thing to come from it was that they had to be in close quarters, so Laxus' scent was definitely getting on Rien. Good.

"Don't forget to give encouraging words to your partner!" Their instructor called with a smile. Laxus didn't hit girls unless it was for a job, but he was ready to blast lightning wildly and whatever happened happened.

"C'mon honey, you need to get your legs to straighten out." Rien teased. The two were facing each other with linked hands. Between their arms, they had pressed their feet together and were raising them up above their heads. Rien's legs were completely straightened out, but Laxus' were still bent at an odd angle. His body was screaming in protest.

"Sorry _babe,_ but these legs ain't goin' any farther. Besides, what are you gonna do?"

"Scoot closer, bend farther. This is barely even a stretch." Rien teased, her eyes lighting up.

"Good for-fucking you then." Laxus hissed. The girl couldn't help but giggle.

"If you get this one, we can go to the cafe and I'll add two shots of vodka to your coffee."

"I deserve the shots anyway for being up this early," Laxus argued. Still, it was a good deal, so he forced his legs to stretch farther, groaning when they were finally straight. Rien made him hold it for five seconds before she told him he'd achieved the goal. The blonde sighed with relief, immediately unlinking their hands and flopping to the side.

"For the next pose-"

Laxus zoned out. He trusted Rien to get them out of the rest of the class.

The instructor made their way over to them, a frown on her face. Laxus didn't respond. Rien's eyes flashed as she calculated the next best move. It made her blush a bit, but she knew it would work. The girl stood, stretching her arms above her head so her shirt would ride up to expose her stomach and tapped Laxus with her foot to get his attention.

"The class still has twenty minutes left." The instructor spoke with a sickly sweet smile. Rien smirked.

"About that. My husband here has been doing such an amazing job, I think he deserves a _reward_. I know it's been a while but-" Rien paused to wink down at Laxus. "well, he's been trying so hard to please me, I just want him to know how much I _appreciate_ it. Don't you agree?"

Now the instructor brightened. "It was this class in particular that inspired you, wasn't it?"

"Of course! I'll be sure to leave it in my review." The brunette finished with a smirk.

"Then I think you've accomplished what we've set out to do! You and your wife have a nice morning Mr. Lobelia." The girl spoke with a giggle.

"Thanks," Laxus answered gruffly. He grabbed the brunette's hand to drag her off to the cafe, ignoring the giggles behind them. Once they were far enough away, he whistled.

"Damn. I didn't think you had that in you." Laxus teased. Red blossomed against the girl's face as she began to stutter.

"I-It was the most efficient way! She's obsessed with getting a promotion, I played that to my advantage."

"Oh really? It had nothing to do with her sexual side? Riddle me this oh wise one. What were the odds of her joining us in 'my reward' if she hadn't been working and you invited her?"

Rien muttered something under her breath, causing Laxus to laugh so hard he almost choked.

"Shut up!"

The man threw an arm over her shoulder, pulling her against him while shaking her slightly.

"What're the odds you'd enjoy it?!" He asked suddenly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Laxus, I am not above hurting you."

"I'd love to see you try." He answered, a glint in his eye.

Just in time for the Fairy Tail gang to show up.

 _ **BREAK LINE**_

"Wow, they're _all_ over each other." Gray whistled. The group watched as Laxus bent down to whisper something in Rien's ear. The girl's face blossomed as she sputtered out some kind of response, followed by Laxus bursting out laughing. The large man wrapped an arm against her tiny frame and tucked her against his side. Then he bent down and whispered something to her again, nose pressed in her hair, which Cana said was probably sexual based on the way his eyebrows moved. Rien turned and said something else which made him smirk and laugh even harder than before. At that point, the brunette couldn't stop herself from laughing along with him, and they were all smiles as they entered the cafe.

"That's how a man should treat his woman." Elfman agreed, nodding along.

"I've never seen him with a girl like that." Freed murmured.

Bixlow stuck out his tongue. "I bet he got laaaiiiiiid"

"Rien's not like that!" Lucy argued. "You shouldn't sleep- I mean, have sex with a guy on the first night!"

"Why would they be having sex?" Natsu asked, feeling anger well up within him. Next to him, Erza blushed as she knocked Natsu on the head.

"They spent the night in the hotel room together, and they're both clearly attracted to one another…." Her color increased as she continued to talk. "It wouldn't surprising if they were to, well…"

"I'd do it," Cana confirmed.

"Me too." Bixlow agreed.

"Same," Loke added. The three shared fist bumps.

"Romance is dead." Lisanna deadpanned, unimpressed.

Juvia pouted and grabbed Gray's arm. "Not with my Gray-sama!"

"Umm, shouldn't we go after them?" Wendy interrupted. From the open window, they could see Laxus hand Rien a coffee and kiss her on the cheek.

Evergreen snorted. The other's might be fooled, but she knew Laxus and she knew the way he treated women he was attracted too and women he wasn't. If they'd hooked up, Laxus' hand would have been on Rien's ass and his kiss would have been on her lips. But if the boss wanted to play a prank against the Fairy Tail members, who was she to deny him?

Of course, Natsu was already charging into the cafe.

* * *

This was going better than Laxus ever could have anticipated. In fact, they might not even have to do all the coupley stuff after all. If he could completely piss off Natsu before breakfast than it was a morning well spent.

"For the record, they now think we're having sex." Laxus informed Rien as he took his seat. The girl shrugged.

"That was the most likely angle you were going to pursue. Pass me your cup?" The blonde slipped his cup over and watched with satisfaction as Rien poured two shots of vodka to replace the sip he'd already taken from a flask she pulled out of her bag.

"You're a doll." He complimented, enjoying the way the alcohol slid down his throat. Rien shook her head, a smile on her face. Then she leaned back to take a sip of her own coffee. She raised her hand just for show, smiling as she counted down with three fingers.

Three...two...one.

Natsu burst into the cafe, followed closely by Erza and Gray.

"One more time?" Laxus offered playfully. Rien rolled her eyes.

"Oh, why not?"

The brunette sprung up, bringing her coffee with her as she jumped out the window. Laxus followed after, arms wrapping around her waist. The two teleported away by lightning before they even hit the ground.

* * *

One more time turned into three more times. Once when they caught up to them in the hotel's gardens, a second when they got to the bottom of their second water slide of the day, and a third when they went for lunch. If Rien was in the opposing group, they probably would have realized by now Laxus and the brunette were just teleporting back to the bar every time, grabbing one more drink before going off to their next activity. Both were on the good end of tipsy by the time they finally decided to let the group catch up to them. Natsu had already broken their breakfast table along with almost burning down the garden. Luckily, Juvia was there to put out the plants.

"For real though, when do you wanna go get your tattoo?" Laxus asked. They'd decided to wait at the bar for the others to catch up with them and were quietly talking amongst themselves.

Rien's eyes widened. "Really? You'd go with me?"

"I already said I would." The blonde rolled his eyes. "There's a shop in town."

"Alright. How about tomorrow afternoon? It'll be on the way out. The others have to catch a train before then so it'll only be us. We'd definitely get kicked out if we brought all of them."

"I'm down. What are you gonna get?"

"I think a circular phylogenetic tree on my shoulder. It's simple, but it shows the branching paths we all come from." She shrugged. "And I believe it's a fairly good representation of what my magic feels like."

"Nice."

"LAXUS!"

"That'll be Natsu." The blonde smirked. He sat back, ready to enjoy the show. He wanted to see Rien's reaction to this, because whatever she thought was coming next was probably wrong. After all, she didn't know she was Natsu's mate.

"Prepare to block." Rien murmured, sipping her Margarita. Laxus snorted.

"I should be saying that to you."

"What?" The brunette didn't have time to process what the slayer meant by that statement, because in the next moment she was being yanked roughly into a pair of arms. "My drink!" She cried, watching as half the alcohol fell on the counter. There was a growl in her ear.

"Laxus, stop stealing Rei." Natsu threatened lowly. The shit-eating grin on the other's face was enormous.

"What makes you think I'm stealing her. We willingly shared a bed last night, and if she didn't want my advances she would have pushed me away."

"Okay Laxus, I think it's time to stop," Rien murmured nervously. She could feel all of Natsu's muscles tight with anger, although she wasn't sure why. Had she not been between them, the pinkette surely would have tried to serve Laxus a flaming fist to the face by now. And he had chosen to have her there. What was going on?

"I'm not lying." He shrugged, taking a slow sip of his drink.

"Well, no, but your implications are dramatized." The brunette shifted the best she could so that she could look Natsu in the eye. They were so close from his tight grasp that her lips were practically on his cheek. "It was a prank Natsu. Laxus and I are in no way romantically involved, nor are we intending to be. This has all been an elaborate ruse to annoy you and the others. All of our actions have been friendly and platonic. Although we did share a bed, it was king sized and we kept to our own sides. And since I know it's your next question, no, we didn't have sex."

"Why would you do that?" Natsu wondered. The fire inside him was marginally receding, but there was still a nasty feeling in his gut. Because even though they claimed it didn't mean anything, Laxus had still held Rien's hand and kissed her cheek. It pissed him off.

"Why would we set out to annoy you?" Rien's eyebrows went up. "Really? You're interrupting our vacation. It was only fair."

"So, we good?" Laxus asked, offering a hand.

"No."

With that, Natsu scooped Rien up into his arms bridal style and took off, leaving Laxus a laughing mess in his barstool.

He couldn't wait to hear all about this tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope I delivered what you all were hoping for! So yeah, I was never trying to keep it a secret that Rien would end up being Natsu's mate. It's a little cliche, but it's what makes the most sense to me in this situation. I feel like she'll be able to provide the balance he needs, which we'll see more of soon. Also, like Rien said, predicting people is harder than predicting the natural world, so no wonder she didn't know what Natsu was going to do next. I personally love writing Rien and Laxus together. Laxus says a lot of shit that can get him in trouble, but Rien's magic and the way it's warped her personality leaves her more open to knowing what he means. Also, sorry if you didn't enjoy my explanation for why Laxus hasn't claimed Lucy as a mate yet, but I thought since he became a dragon slayer by unnatural means (even though kids aren't born dragon slayers), I didn't think it would be too farfetched to say certain traditions come more slowly for Laxus than other dragons.**

 **I'm excited for the plans I have after wrapping up this ark. Also, I think I know what Rien's going to decide in the end, and it's not the simple answer everyone's waiting for. Things with her never are, because she sees all the complexities.**

 **Also, thank you for all the reviews! We had 6 last chapter; I couldn't stop smiling about it. Also, we're getting so close to 100 follows, which is incredible. Thank you so much. This was a project I started for fun but it's become more than I could have hoped for.**

 **See Y'all next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 ~ 13 Ways to Change Everything**

"N-Natsu! Where are we going?!" Rien asked. Natsu had been sprinting for a good two minutes now. She knew he was leading her off the property, but she couldn't be sure of exactly where or why.

The dragon slayer didn't answer.

Rien sighed. Her brain was a bit muddled from the alcohol, making it hard to think. The facts were as follows:

Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail had been chasing Laxus and herself for two days now

Laxus and Rein had effectively tricked both the resort workers and the other Fairy Tail mages into thinking they were a couple

This seemed to make Natsu upset; most likely because he wanted to spend more time with her than he was allowed (why he wanted to spend time with her remained unknown)

Instead of punching Laxus in the face as she had expected him to do, Natsu had kidnapped her and fled the scene without hurting anyone

They had come to a stop

"Oh." The brunette spoke. Natsu finally put her back on the ground so they could look each other in the eyes. She noted absentmindedly that her arms were still around his neck from when she'd clung to him as he'd run, and his arms were around her waist.

"Why did you go on vacation with just Laxus? It would have been more fun if we were all together." He interrogated, frustration leaking through his voice.

"The Master wanted to send Laxus and I on this vacation to bond since he wishes for us to work more closely together in the future. Laxus has a commanding presence and I have the organizational skills along with hours of practice which makes us a highly effective team in terms of running the guild and keeping it up to legal standards, I must admit. In addition, I find it easier to get to know the guild members one at a time as opposed to in groups. Spending alone time with Laxus has helped me feel closer to him as a friend. I also knew that this would not be of a sexual nature, as Laxus clearly wishes he could pursue Lucy." Rien rambled, not nearly as filtered as she normally would have been. Natsu's eyes furrowed.

"Laxus likes Lucy?"

"I don't think I was supposed to say that…" Rien murmured, a guilty look on her face. Natsu shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. Why did you guys pretend to be a couple?"

"Partially not to get kicked out of the resort, and partially to confuse all of you. We knew that the prospect of Laxus and I together would be quite baffling." The girl giggled. "I confess that I also find it to be quite humorous."

"Is that why you were okay with him kissing you and holding your hand?"

"I suppose." Her emotions were flickering quickly. From guilt to amusement and now content. "Laxus is my friend, and I enjoy physical contact. All of our actions could be seen as friendly. A kiss on the cheek or the forehead hardly has to be romantic. In fact, although I doubt he would admit it, I believe Laxus and I are starting to develop a familial relationship."

"What about me?"

Rien's heart skipped a beat.

"...what about you?"

"We've held hands and shared a bed. What does that make us?" The look in his eyes was as serious as she'd ever seen them.

"I-I don't-" She needed to get out of this. "I need to think about it, but I promise it's good. Ask me again when I'm sober?"

Natsu seemed disappointed.

"It's different," Rien added quietly. She removed her arms from Natsu's neck and took his away from her waist so she could hold their hands between them. The brunette gave them a gentle squeeze. "A good different."

Natsu nodded, though he still seemed upset. At that moment, all Rien could think about was getting the frown off his face. She hated that it was there because of her. If she'd known the prank would hurt Natsu this much, she never would have gone through with it. But how could she? Natsu's reaction didn't make sense. It still didn't. The thought frustrated her immensely. She hated not knowing. She was _supposed_ to know. That's how her magic worked. She always knew and she was always in control when she needed to be. The girl could take hold of this situation again. Rien stepped closer to Natsu and pushed herself onto her tiptoes, eyes fluttering shut as she placed a light kiss on the pinkette's jaw. The world seemed to still. Natsu's skin was soft and warm against her lips. She heard his breath hitch and felt as his hands squeezed hers back tightly. Finally, the girl fell back on her heels and moved so she could see Natsu again. His expression had softened, and there was a small smile on his face along with a soft blush on his cheeks. Rien ignored the red in her own and smiled back.

"There. Laxus may have kissed my cheek, but I never kissed his. Now you have a one-up on him."

"Not yet," Natsu answered, a sudden gleam in his eye. Before she could respond the male swooped down and presses his lips only inches away from her mouth. Rien's eyes bugged out and she knew her entire face was redder than a tomato. She hadn't expected this, although she also wasn't currently using her magic. Natsu laughed.

" _Now_ I have a one-up on Laxus."

"You goofball." The brunette's grin took up her entire face. She let go of one of Natsu's hands, keeping the other in her grasp which seemed to suit the dragon-slayer just fine. Natsu happily laced their fingers together, finally feeling the fire in his belly quench, leaving a warm feeling in its wake.

"Come on." Rien giggled, beginning to tug him along. "You owe me at least half a margarita. This time, we'll hang out with everyone."

It sounded perfect to him.

* * *

The resort was much less relaxing and much more fun when they all hung out as a group. Rien agreed to go on _one_ waterslide with Natsu; any more than that would have raised suspicion. After all, as far as the resort was concerned, Rien was married to Laxus. Neither particularly felt like dealing with the consequences when the workers found out they were being deceived. Although everyone else had been informed about the deception, Cana and Loke were convinced there was something Rien and Laxus weren't saying (there wasn't), and Rien spent the majority of the day between Laxus and Natsu.

After dinner, they decided to hang out in Laxus' and Rien's room for a while before heading back to their own hotel. The group would be leaving early in the morning, so they wouldn't see the other two mages until they returned to Fairy Tail. Of course, Rien would have a new tattoo by then, but they didn't know about that either.

"It has been fun., Rien admitted, snuggling into the cushions. She was on the loveseat with Natsu, her legs stretched across his lap while his were on the table (she'd barely gotten out a word about the glass being too cold on her heels when Natsu pulled her legs over). Lucy was on the other couch with Laxus and Cana. Bixlow had settled on the floor against it. Gray, Juvia, and Elfman found chairs from the desk and table that they brought over, leaving Lisanna, Loke, Wendy, Evergreen and Erza on the bed in the midst of their own conversation.

"What was your favorite part?" Lucy asked. She was sitting between Cana and Laxus, hyper aware of the lightning dragon-slayers body beside hers.

"Hmm. Yoga was nice this morning. Especially after the massages we got yesterday." The brunette answered. "You should have seen Laxus attempting some of the poses! I had to bail him out halfway through." She giggled.

"Yeah, by offering to have a threesome with the instructor." Laxus snickered, causing a variety of loud reactions from their friends.

"NO! I _implied_ something completely different, and the instructor let us go. I did not invite her to anything."

"Like the blow job you told her I was getting?"

"I hate you." Rien pouted, throwing a pillow from the couch at his head. The slayer caught it easily despite the laughter coming from him. Cana was pretty much in tears, rolling around on the floor. "You know it was the most effective way to get us both to leave! And I didn't exclusively say blow job either! I just said you were getting a reward, which frankly should be counted as the shots of vodka I put in your coffee."

"That was for doing the stupid yoga pose."

"Which is what the reward was originally for."

"You told her the reward was because I was doing such an _amazing_ job trying to _please_ you."

"You did please me. By doing the last pose. Your face was hilarious. I can't believe the big bad lightning slayer can't even do _yoga_."

"That shits hard." Laxus spat. "What fucking use is there in putting my godman foot over my head?"

"Careful with the swears Dear. There are children here." Rien teased.

Laxus snorted. "Sorry _babe_."

"You may not actually be married, but you sure as hell bicker like you are." Gray observed. Watching them argue was like watching a tennis match.

"Trust me, that's not going to happen. Laxus already has someone else in mind. Don't you honey?"

"Rien." Laxus growled. She laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

"What about you? Don't think I'm the only guilty party in this relationship."

The two stared each other down for a moment, eyes narrowed. Finally, Rien shrugged and settled back. "If you say so."

"Gotta say, I've never seen a woman argue with the boss like you do." Bixlow cackled. The brunette hummed.

"Maybe in another life."

"What does that mean?" Natsu asked, none to pleased with the topic of conversation.

"Who knows? Maybe there's a parallel universe out there where I do marry Laxus. There's an infinite amount of possibilities. Trust me on that. It's kind of my specialty. For all we know, there could be a world where I'm married to Lucy."

"But I'm not attracted to women." The blonde argued. Rien winked.

"Not in this universe."

Cana laughed. "Girl, you're ridiculous."

"No, I'm slightly drunk." Rien corrected, joining in on her laughter.

* * *

"Rien, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The mage hummed, eyes blinking as she tracked the person talking to her. Ah, yes, Lucy.

"What is it?" She wondered.

"I just have a question about the new magic, that's all." The blonde answered. Her gaze was intense, almost as though she were willing Rien to understand something. In her inebriated state, it took her a moment to realize that Lucy wanted to talk about something important that had nothing to do with her magic.

"Yeah, of course. Wanna step outside? It's a little hot in here."

"That's what happens when you sit next to a human sized hand warmer." Gray scoffed. Natsu sniped something back at him that the brunette didn't pay attention to as she stood from her seat. She teetered for a moment, slightly disoriented, before she found her balance and started weaving through legs and chairs to get to the balcony doors. Lucy joined her quickly, happy to step out into the cool night air. She closed the doors firmly behind them, making sure that no dragon slayers were too close to hear their conversation. Even then, she kept her voice barely above a whisper.

"What happened with Natsu earlier?" There was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

"I-I don't know what you mean."

"Listen, Rien." Lucy placed a hand on her shoulder. "Natsu's my best friend, but he's totally clueless when it comes to his feelings about girls. Still, we all just want him to be happy."

"Naturally, you're his friends."

"What I'm trying to say is, I think _you_ make him happy."

"So you're saying… Natsu likes me?" Rien gulped. Lucy nodded encouragingly.

"I think he does. Explain what happened earlier."

The brunette blushed heavily, avoiding eye contact with the blonde as she stared out over the ledge. "He asked me why I was doing everything I was with Laxus, and I explained to him that it was just a prank and that I was comfortable with it because I see Laxus in a brotherly way. He reminds me of another friend from back home. Then Natsu asked what that meant I thought of him, since I let Natsu do all the same things Laxus was doing, you know? And… I didn't have an answer. I don't know Lucy. It's just- it feels right. It's comfortable and exhilarating all at the same time."

"Do you think you like him back?"

That was the question of the hour. Rien suddenly felt a lot more sober than she did a minute ago. The girl tucked her hair behind her ear, her other hand drumming on the railing.

"I don't know. I'm still deciding whether or not to stay in the guild. Suppose I do like Natsu and it just so happens that he likes me back. Then what? It wouldn't be fair for him if I decided not to stay. The relationship would either be long term or not existent. Natsu's already on jobs constantly, and I wouldn't be going with him. Now add another variable; I join another guild somewhere else. Our schedules would be completely different, and adding the distance, we would probably never see one another."

"Would you stay in the guild? For Natsu?" Lucy wondered.

"Right now? No. Whatever I'm feeling, I think it could go away, with time and distance. Nothing gained, nothing lost."

The celestial mage looked…disappointed in her. "I see…"

"Since I've just let you interrogate me, I should get to ask a question in return, shouldn't I?" Rien asked, tilting her head to the side. She did have questions, but more than that she really wanted to change the subject. She didn't mean for her words to be taken personally, but it seemed like they had been. Still, Rien was nothing if not honest. She wouldn't place false hopes on Lucy, nor would she let her think Natsu was the secret to making her stay in the guild. That would probably lead her to pushing Natsu onto her more and it wasn't fair to put that burden on the dragon slayer's shoulders either.

"I guess."

"How do you feel about Laxus?" Rien wondered. Immediately, a blush overtook Lucy's face and she scrambled back, pressing herself against the railing as far from the brunette as possible.

"Wh-wha- does it matter?! He barely even speaks to me." By the end of her second sentence, her body had calmed and she was looking dejected at the ground.

"He may not speak to you, but he spends a lot of time looking at you."

"H-he does?"

"Mmhmm." Rien smiled. "He does."

"Oh!" There was a wide smile on Lucy's face, and Rien knew, 100%, that Lucy liked Laxus.

"Assuming I wanted too… what would be a good way to talk to him?" The blonde questioned. It took everything the brunette had to keep her face passive, lest Lucy get too embarrassed to continue her line of questioning. She liked Lucy, and she liked Laxus. If they could be happy together, then that would be perfect for her.

"Firstly, if you went straight up to him and tried to make conversation, I doubt he wouldn't indulge you. However, I happen to know that the yellow light from spectrum magic involves mimicry of lighting. Considering Laxus is a lightning dragon slayer, it would make sense for you to ask him for help."

"He would agree to that?"

"Of course he would. He cares, Lucy."

The blonde blushed again, a soft smile crossing her lips. Rien couldn't stop herself from smiling along with her.

"For the record though-" Lucy started, staring Rien straight in the eyes. "-the way you feel about Laxus and I is how I feel about you and Natsu."

The brunette couldn't respond to that, which the blonde didn't expect her too. She started off inside, giving Rien a teasing look as she opened the door. It was a good natured jest, so the shorter girl bumped her shoulder against the other as they stepped back inside, only then realizing how cold it had been. Rien bounded back to her spot by Natsu, shivering as she went.

"Cold?" The dragon slayer asked with concern. Rien felt her heart flutter.

"A little."

"Here." Natsu draped his arm around around her shoulders and tucked her into his side, letting his natural heat sooth her while her while his hand rubbed warmth into her other arm. Rien sighed happily, letting herself fall into him, which caused the dragon slayer to chuckle. She blushed as she felt it reverberate through her.

"Better?" Natsu asked. Rien hummed in response.

"So what did we miss?" Lucy asked. After their conversation, she knew the last thing Rien needed was to be teased about her position with Natsu. She was afraid it might lead the shy girl to back away.

"Would you rather be in your bra and shorts for the rest of the night, or your tank top and panties?" Cana asked, inducting the girls into the game. Lucy frowned.

"My bra and shorts I guess?"

Rien smirked when she noticed Laxus' eyes darken.

"I'd go with my tank top. It's tucked in right now, but it's pretty long actually." Rien tossed out. Of course, she missed the pink that grew on Natsu's cheek from her answer, which had both Laxus and Lucy chuckling.

* * *

The night went on that way for a little longer before the mages decided they needed to get back. The hotel wasn't really the type for parties. Gray mentioned it was a miracle that no one had made a noise complaint (Freed and Rien had secretly used their magic to make the room soundproof) and Laxus wanted to get one last actual rest before he and Rien were buried by work.

Now, the two were laying in the dark in their otherwise empty room, attempting to go to sleep.

Rien was restless.

"Hey Laxus?"

The Dragon Slayer hummed.

"Why did Natsu come after me instead of you. By all my calculations, he should have punched you in the face." She asked bluntly.

Laxus exhaled loudly.

"I can't tell you."

"What, why not?" The girl demanded. So Laxus _did_ know why. She'd thought so, based on the smirk he'd given her earlier.

"You said you wanted your decision about whether or not to stay in the guild to be your own. That meant you couldn't tell us anything that would persuade you to stay." Laxus recapped. "This is the same. If I told you what I know, you'd feel like you _have_ to stay in Fairy Tail, and I don't want you to feel that way. The decision is yours Rien. I will say that I didn't appreciate Fairy Tail when I had it; no where in the world is quite like this guild."

"That's the point of me leaving…" Rien whispered softly. "Fairy Tail works for you Laxus. I don't know if it works for me."

"What'd you mean?" The mage shifted so that his head was propped up by his hand and he could focus on her more clearly.

"I don't like fighting." Rien started. "If it's my choice, I'd rather take jobs based on exploration or recovery than beating things up or slaying them, but I know that sometimes those things are required. I'm quiet. Sometimes, I'd rather be alone than around other people. I don't think I'm that brave either. I'd sacrifice myself for anyone in need in the moment, but I also don't go out seeking danger. I don't use the typical 'fairy tail' type of magic. I'd never be in the Fantasia parade because from that standpoint, my magic isn't that impressive. I also have a hard time talking to people or inviting myself along for things that I want to do. People in town know me better than people in the guild…." She trailed off. Laxus sighed.

"You may not be the typical Fairy Tail mage." He agreed. "But you are the type of mage Fairy Tail needs more of."

Rien shifted, hugging a pillow to her chest.

"Really?"

"You probably understand the importance of balance better than any of us." Laxus explained. "I think we might be lost without you."

The brunette shook her head with a sad smile.

"You've never needed me."

"It's frustrating, how you can see the importance of everything but yourself." Laxus answered gruffly, ruffling her hair. Rien squeaked.

"Hey!"

"I'll deny saying it later but... you should stay."

"Thanks, Laxus."

"Anytime."

"Anytime not in public, you mean."

"Go to sleep Rien."

* * *

Arriving back to Magnolia was all a blur. As promised, she had Laxus did a walk in appointment and two hours later she was sporting a new tattoo on her shoulder. Laxus was extremely careful of it as they flew back to Magnolia, taking care not to apply any pressure as he sat behind her. They enjoyed the flight, recounting the fun aspects of their trip. He'd even offered her to go on a mission with the Thunder Legion if the mood struck. Since they'd gotten the okay from Makarov before they left, Rien had Wynn land in the backyard of the guild. That day, Rien was sporting a cropped red sweatshirt that was soft on the inside so as to not irritate the tattoo, high waisted black shorts, and her red van shoes. Her hair was down as normal with her bangs clipped back to keep the soft waves away from her face.

"What're the odds we just go home and start this tomorrow?" Laxus groaned, already dreading going inside.

"Without the Master coming after us? 4%"

"Damn."

Accepting their fate, the two made their way back into the guild, effectively ending their vacation.

"Hey Laxus, Rei, welcome back!" Mira greeted, a cheeky smile on her face. "How was vacation?"

"It was nice." Rien said honestly, bumping her hip against Laxus. She winced when her arm swung just a bit too much- a fresh tattoo would do that.

"Why does Rien smell like blood?" Natsu growled, approaching the group. He'd come running over, excited to see the brunette back in Fairy Tail only to be slammed by the stench of blood and ink coming from her shoulder. His nostrils flared.

"N-Natsu, calm down." The brunette spoke gently. She approached him slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's a tattoo I got. Laxus went with me. We waited until the third day because fresh tattoos shouldn't be exposed to sunlight and water."

"You should show him." Laxus spoke with a smirk. Rien rounded on him, a fierce glare on her face. His eyes were challenging, daring her to do it. "What? You're wearing a bra and it's on your back. It's not like you're flashing your tits. 'Sides, looks like everyone wants to see it."

When she spun back around, it seemed like most of the guild's attention was on her. She flushed. Honestly, she didn't know what was worse, everyone's curious gaze or Natsu's piercing one. She gulped.

"Alright. Please don't touch it." The girl spun back around, wanting to give Laxus a glare of death, but there's was support in his eyes and the look immediately faded. He knew he was pushing her, yes, but he had good intentions. Before the brunette could lose her nerve, she pulled up the back of her shirt (making sure the front was covered) and revealed her new tattoo the guild. The center was a circle, but coming off that circle was a multitude of branches, each bending in a right angle to continue another ring with their own variety of smaller branches. It almost looked like a maze.

"It's like a physical representation of my magic," Rien explained loudly enough for everyone to hear. "There's no set path. Every option you take leads to its own adventure, and the cycle continues."

Fingertips grazed her shoulder just above the clear bandaged. The girl's breath hitched.

"It's beautiful." Natsu murmured. She could feel a sense of understanding and awe wash over the guild. They would never fully understand what it was like to use her magic, but now, they seemed to comprehend and appreciate it just a little bit more.

Those two hours of pain were definitely worth it.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope this is a conclusion everyone is satisfied with. I know it's frustrating that Rien won't 'acknowledge' her feelings for Natsu, but keep in mind that a.) She's shy and b.) if she's not staying in Fairy Tail, there won't be much of a relationship. Also, I have four tattoos myself, so I know what she's going through. I like the idea of her having them though; it just goes to show that anyone can get a tattoo. Also, her relationship with Laxus will only continue to grow. Although I will say Rien's not the type to enjoy people withholding information from her, even if it's for her own good.**_

 _ **On another note, I've updated the cover of this story to a picture of Rien that I drew myself! Not the base (I forget where it comes from) but I did draw the other things. It's her outfit that she wears on missions.**_

 _ **Coming up- Natsu and Rien go on a job together? Alone?!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 ~ 14 Ways to Enrage a Dragon**

"Do you have the lettuce for Wynn?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh! Can you grab the book on the table for Levi? I think she'll really like that one."

"Sure."

"Where's my cardigan….?"

"Here." Natsu put down the bags of vegetables and book he'd been holding on the table to take the article of clothing off the chair next to him. Today was a particularly cold day in Fiore, and although he couldn't feel it Rien dressed for the occasion. The girl was wearing a white tank top over a red bralette, black leggings, and her maroon boots with a pair of thick brown socks. Her hair was left down with her bangs braided off her face. Natsu admired the blush on her cheeks as he held the oversized cardigan up for her so she could slip her arms into it. It fell off one shoulder, exposing her new tattoo which looked more vibrant without the bandage on it. The dragon slayers eyes were drawn to the skin, eyes following up to the junction between her neck and shoulders.

"I apologize for being so frazzled today. Perhaps I'm going a little stir crazy. It's been a while since I've followed a daily routine." She apologized.

"It's okay. I don't mind." He assured, recollecting the items. He made sure to hold everything under his right arm so that he could grab one of Rien's hands with his left. The shy smile she gave him made warmth fill his chest.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

The two walked out of Rien's little apartment, enjoying the rush of fresh air that came with the rising sun. The brunette was working the morning shift at the guild, and since Natsu was an early riser (and still sleeping at her house), they were once more heading in together. Rien had wanted to leave a little earlier to spend time with Wynn. She'd felt bad that she hadn't gotten to see him much while she was at the hotel, and she missed him profusely.

The two teens made small talk as Natsu recounted a mission he'd gone on with Happy during the years Rien had been gone. She listened attentively, asking questions about his magic and the opponents he'd fought. He was happy to share what he'd learned.

When they arrived, the two walked straight around to the back of the guild where Wynn was still fast asleep. Rien smiled softly, breaking away from Natsu to approach her wyvern.

"Hi, baby boy." She whispered, scratching along his head. He didn't open his eyes, but his tail thumped marginally on the ground, letting her know he was awake. "I brought some food."

Now the wyvern was awake. He lifted his head, nuzzling it into her shoulder as he stood up. The brunette giggled, making sure to scratch under his chin. "I know. We'll go flying again soon, okay?"

He nudged her just slightly too hard, but Natsu knew if Rien hadn't wanted to fall, she wouldn't have. His heart filled as he watched the brunette laugh and smile while Wynn cuddled into her.

In moments like these, he forgot that Rien only had three weeks left before she decided whether or not to stay in the guild. In moments like these, he wasn't so afraid, because he couldn't imagine life without her in it.

Life like this was good.

* * *

"Lucy's practicing spectrum magic with Laxus?" Natsu asked, his town filled with jealousy. Rien grimaced. She'd known long beforehand Natsu wouldn't take it well. Lucy was his best friend, and he'd been really excited to work with her. Of course, he was upset that Laxus got to work with her first.

"Erm, that's right," Rien answered awkwardly. "Maybe you and Happy could go on a small mission for the day?"

"Happy's fishing for Carla." Natsu groaned, resting his chin on his arms that were folded on the bar top.

"And Erza?"

"Favor for the magic council."

"...Gray?"

"Even if I wanted to go on a mission with the popsicle sucker, which I don't, he's on a 'man's' trip with Loke today. Tch."

"Right. That's… unfortunate."

"Why don't you and Rei go out on a job? Her shift ends in half an hour." Mira suggested. Rien wasn't surprised that the girl had popped up behind her, but she'd hoped she might mind her own business. Of course with Mira, there was only ever a 25% chance she would. The brunette closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She wasn't upset with the idea, but she was worried that like Lucy, Mira was going to try and get her with Natsu. Which, again, wasn't fair to him.

When she opened her eyes, Natsu was looking at her with so much joy and hope that her heart panged in her chest.

"Rei?"

She smiled. "I suppose it could be fun. A short mission would be preferable."

"Awesome! I'll go pick one right now. Oh! And I can get your mission clothes too so we can go as soon as your shift is over! Your keys are in your bag, right?"

If it was anyone else, she probably would have been annoyed, but how could she get mad at Natsu?

"Yes."

"Alright! See ya soon!" And with that, Natsu was rushing to the back to get her things. Mira shot Rien a slight look that had her face beat red instantly. She tucked her chin down and vigorously continued to scrub the plate in her hand."

"Rei-"

"Please refrain."

Mira laughed.

* * *

About four hours later, Wynn was landing them in a forest right on the edge of a field. Rien smiled, lifting her goggles away from her face. The location was beautiful, and it felt like such a long time since she'd last smelled the natural scent of the woods.

"You know, I had originally intended to return to Magnolia after dinner, but perhaps we should camp the night," Rien suggested, enjoying the way the wind ruffled her hair. "That way we can spend more time with Wynn too."

"Sounds fun." Natsu agreed warmly. "Where will we sleep though?"

"We can build a shelter. It's supposed to be a clear night, temperatures around 38 degrees Fahrenheit at the lowest. We can grab a blanket in town if we need it."

"Alright! First, we'll finish the mission, then we'll go camping." Natsu cheered. "The flier says they'll probably attack us on our way into town."

"Just a moment." Rien blinked, her eyes glowing red as she started to calculate where they would likely run into the bandits. Although they had a clear trail leading into town from their location, they would be better off circling around the forest and using the main trade route about half a mile North East. The brunette sighed, letting her magic fade. "If you'd like to stop in town first, we can follow the trail up ahead. Otherwise, it would be more efficient to go straight to the main road and intercept the bandits there."

"Let's go kick some bandit butt." Natsu grinned, punching a flaming fist into his open palm. The girl smiled back at him.

"I figured you'd say that, but it's only polite to offer."

The boy reached down, grabbing his hand with hers.

"Let's get going."

"We'll be back soon Wynn," Rien promised, lightly scratching his snout. The wyvern huffed, bumping her hand. Then, he made his way into the forest in search of thick brush he could nap in.

Rien and Natsu started walking, the later letting his body relax. Between his heightened dragon-slayer senses and Rien's magic, there was no way the bandits would be able to take them by surprise.

"Rei?"

"Yes?" The girl continued walking, but she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Are you still planning to leave?" He wondered. There was a small pit in his stomach, a fear of what her answer might be.

"I'd say it's currently a 46% chance that I'll stay and a 54% chance that I'll leave." She spoke honestly. Natsu halted, and their connected hands stopped her along with him.

"It's...less?"

"Yes."

"Why?" He demanded. "What are we doing wrong?!"

Rien looked away. She couldn't explain it to him, that wouldn't be fair. As she stood right now, she felt that she was finally making friends in the guild, especially within team Natsu. And, at least with Lucy and Mira, she felt reassured that if she left the guild, they would still be her friends. Other than them, she wasn't completely sure. If the relationships she was making during this time were completely dependent on her being a part of Fairy Tail, then Fairy Tail still wasn't the right place for her. They were making an effort for her, but there was still a lingering doubt as to whether it was for Rien the person or Rien their guild-member. Relationships took time, she knew that, but they'd had years together. How much more time did they need?

Natsu was a different case altogether. There were too many variables with Natsu. She'd heard many stories about him being in love with Lisanna, and how Lisanna's disappearance had affected him. At the same time, he'd managed to move on. Even though Lisanna was back now, he hardly spent as much time with her as people had expected him to when she returned. Would the same happen to them? Rien knew she and Natsu were close now. However, if everything settled and there was no longer the risk of her leaving, would they stay the same, or would they drift as he had with Lisanna? She didn't think she could handle seeing that.

In her musing, she had forgotten that Natsu was still staring at her, waiting for an answer.

"If I left the guild, would we still be friends?" She whispered. Natsu's brow furrowed, and a scowl took over his face. The grip on her hand became almost too tight.

"What kind of question is that? _Of course_ we would Rei. You're my nakama. If you think leaving Fairy Tail will cut ties with us, you're wrong."

The girl blinked, and it wasn't until doing so that she realized there had been tears in her eyes.

"Okay." She agreed quietly. "I'll remember that. Let's keep going."

As they continued on, Natsu walked closer to her than before, and his hand held hers more tightly than before. Rien didn't mind. She moved closer to him as well; every once in a while their arms bumped against one another.

They continued on for around fifteen minutes more before Rien stopped him at the edge of a path. This was the trade route they had been looking for. She closed her eyes, letting her magical sense take over. The bandits would be arriving in approximately one minute and forty-seven seconds at their current pace. There were 18 of them all together, 6 with magic and 12 without. There were both males and females of varying sizes.

"Listen, Natsu, you handle the mages. I'll take care of the bandits who don't have magic."

"Why?" The dragonslayer wondered. "I can easily take out any of them."

"I'm aware, but it's a core belief of mine that it's not just to attack someone with magic who has no hope of defending themselves against such a force, and there doesn't seem to be any magical items on their persons. Therefore, I'll engage them in hand-to-hand combat while you take care of the mages. Of course I'll be using my own magic to aid me, but it won't be pure magical offensive force as your spells will be. Is that alright?"

"Fine. But if I finish my guys quicker than you, I'm takin' yours out as well." He smiled cheekily. Rien grinned.

"I'll count on it."

Rien let go of his hand then to twist her bracelet off her wrist. She tossed it into the air, watching its shadow against the sun as it elongated into the staff she'd purchased. She let it land between her fingertips, causing it to dance and spin about her wrist before she caught it in a firm grasp.

"Hey, who're you?" A man in the front of the group asked in confusion, scratching at his beard. The female next to him slapped the back of his head.

"Idiot! They're clearly wizards. Tch. I can't believe you're one of them."

"Ahh."

"That's right! We're Fairy Tail Mages. I'm all fired up!" Natsu smirked, punching a flaming fist into his other hand. There were a few murmurs amongst the groups.

"Who's this guy?"

"I think he's Fairy Tail's Salamander!"

"Whoa. I heard a punch from him is like an erupting volcano!"

"I-I heard that he can melt you with just one look~"

"Who's the girl next to him though?"

"I've never heard of her before. Surely not Titania, she wears armor."

"Must be one of the low-beat ones then."

Natsu grit his teeth, the flames growing as he listened to them insult Rei. Said girl placed a hand on his shoulder, her face expressionless as she stared down the group.

"Let this be your one warning. Replace all you've stolen and apologize to the villagers for your misdeeds."

"And if we don't?" Another man asked, spitting the dirt in front of him.

Instead of answering Rien dashed forward, her body encased in a faint red glow. She lowered herself to the ground and swept out her leg, knocking the man off his feet. Following this, she jabbed up with her staff, pushing another man away by the chest.

"Alright, I've been itching for a fight!" Natsu cheered. He charged first at the guy who'd been directly referred to as a mage, fists encased in flames.

Rien pushed herself into a standing position. Her staff came up, blocking a katana one of the gang members was wielding. She quickly flipped her weapon so that his own was tossed through the air and surged forward, jabbing her fingers into his neck which sent him sprawling to the ground. Then she used her momentum to twist her body, letting her staff swing into the ribs of a girl who'd tried to approach her from behind. Rien grinned, tossing her staff into the air. She jumped into a back handspring, letting her legs kick one thug's chin so hard that his head snapped up, leaving him completely unconscious. Several handsprings in rapid succession lead her away from Natsu's fight, and as she'd predicted all the non-magic using bandits followed after her. As she landed into a standing position she raised her left hand, catching the staff once more in her grasp.

"You bitch!"

In his own fight, the first man was using some kind of bubble magic to keep Natsu away. Each time he popped one, he was left with a different surprise, such as a horrible stench or a screeching noise.

"That's it, I'll just engulf everything in flames! **Fire Dragon's Roar!"**

The flames popped every single bubble coming his way and nullified any effect they might have had. The mage was also engulfed, and when the flames ended he was laying on the ground, steam rising from his body.

A rope wrapped around Natsu's wrist. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes, noting a girl wearing a kimono with dozens of ropes escaping the sleeves. She smiled at him pleasantly.

"Seems you're in quite the bi-"

Before she could finish her sentence Rien landed on her, crushing her shoulders and halting her spells completely. Rien shot Natsu a cheeky wink.

" **Variable manipulation: force!"**

More force than Rien would have normally been capable exerting herself launched her away from the mage and directly back into the fray of the non-wizards. She held her staff out like a lance, catching one bandit in the stomach which propelled him into another, which carried that man into another and another until 5 had been collected, almost looking like a kabob at the end of her staff. They fell into a pile on top of each other, groaning in pain.

"Nice one Rei!" Natsu cheered.

"My bugs, attack! **Stinging cloud!"**

Natsu twisted on his feet, coming face to face with a swarm of tiny bugs surrounded a vile green magic glow. He grinned, fangs poking from his teeth.

"This is almost too easy! **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** The pinkette's arms became encased fire. Any bug that came to close to him was immediately reduced to ash due to the proximity. As he swung his arms the flames spread, searing everything in his path. When he emerged from the other side of the cloud, he used another roar to take care of any strays he'd missed his first time around.

"My bugs!"

" **Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"**

Before the other wizard could even think of responding, Natsu's flames sent him flying a good 20 yards away. Impressively, he bounced almost six times until he came to a stop in a patch of grass.

Meanwhile, Rien was surrounded by a group. She twirled her staff, keeping them from getting to close. Then, she used it for leverage to launch herself above the female closest to her. She jabbed into the back of the girl's neck, immediately incapacitating the use of her limbs. As she landed she swung her arm around, throwing the girl into another female who'd tried to approach her.

However, she knew she wouldn't be able to defend herself against the next attack, a blow aimed at her head. Her momentum wasn't going to allow her to stop before she took the blow.

" **Variable manipulation: elasticity!"** A fist smashed into the side of her head. It was a strong blow, though due to her quickly cast spell, she hardly felt the effects of it. Still, it had enough power to send her careening across the clearing, only stopping when she skidded into Natsu's feet.

"Rei!" He cried.

"I'm okay." She reassured, climbing to her feet. Other than being slightly dizzy, she was okay. There was no response from the dragon slayer, and he didn't even try to help her off the ground. The brunette's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced up at Natsu. His posture was stiff, and his pupils blown out impossibly wide. Even from her position on the ground, she could hear the roughness of his breathing.

"Natsu-" She called, only to be cut off by his scream.

"WHO HURT HER?! I'LL KILL YOU~"

Flames radiated from his body, so hot that they were beginning to turn yellow and green in color. Rien cast a quick flame retardant spell on her body, though it hardly helped. Natsu's eyes were wild as they darted from person to person, trying to find the culprit. Every single bandit still standing, wizard or not, shrunk away from his piercing stare. The air had changed, and what was once a beat-em-up fight between two groups changed into a life or death situation. If it weren't for the paralyzing fear they were consumed by at that moment, most of the smarter bandits would have already made a break for it.

"I'll ask one more time-"

"Natsu, stop!" Rien cried, climbing to her feet. She winced as a surge of pain rippled through her, so strong that it caused her to drop the staff in her hand. Natsu caught sight of this and wrapped an arm around her torso, fitting her snugly against his chest.

"Who did it?"

No response.

"Then everyone gets punished. **FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"**

Natsu clapped his hands together, and burrowing herself into his chest was all Rien could do to prevent further injury to her person. The area around them seemed to explode with flames, and no bandit was left untouched. They screamed as the intense heat burned their skin.

"Stop!" Rien cried, but Natsu didn't seem to hear her, the flames only getting stronger. The brunette's eyes flashed as she looked for a way to solve the situation, but she didn't even know what was wrong. How could she find a solution if she didn't know the problem?

In a moment of helplessness, Rien acted on the first gesture she could think of. She brought on her hands up around Natsu's neck and jerked his head down, then pushed herself up on her toes and bumped her forehead firmly against his own. It was the same way Wynn showed his care for her, the same way he'd shown respect for Natsu, and a show of affection the dragon slayer had used on her as well.

"Stop this." She whispered. They were so close that at any second, Rien felt her body could merge with his. She could feel his breath on her lips, her own paused as she clenched her eyes tightly. If this didn't work, she didn't know what else to do.

Ever so slowly, she felt his body relax. The heat around them calmed until it felt like nothing more than the warm embrace of the sun on a summer afternoon. His second arm came around her, and though his grip loosened there was more intimacy and care to this hold. As Rien let her heels fall softly back into the dirt, the hand of her free arm relaxed against his shoulder. Natsu followed her down, keeping his forehead softly pressed against her own.

"Natsu." She breathed. Against her body, she could feel his own begin to tremble.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I saw you hurt and I got so _angry-"_

The brunette shushed him, rubbing small circles on his back. She was hesitant to see the damage but still, she turned her head, examining the area around them in the aftermath of Natsu's rage. Patches of grass that had once been green turned yellow with scorches of black amongst them. Not a single bandit had been left conscious, some suffering as much as second degree burns on their exposed skin. She shivered slightly at the realization that if she hadn't stopped Natsu when she did, it could have been much, much worse. The Dragon Slayer's face was buried in her neck and he inhaled deeply, letting her familiar scent calm him.

"I think we need to talk to Laxus. This isn't normal. I've never observed behavior like this from any of the Dragon Slayers in our guild."

Natsu was silent.

"By my calculations, a high ranking officer of the town should be arriving here in about 8 minutes." Rien continued. "I'll wait for him here and explain the situation. In the meantime, you should go back to Wynn. Your presence may not be favorable to the discussion."

His grip tightened. Rien was immediately struck with a sense of guilt. Natsu didn't need her to be a problem solver right now. He needed some sort of comfort. Even if he wouldn't say it aloud, she could tell by his posture and breathing that he was scared. He'd lost control of his magic and for a moment, it truly seemed like he'd wanted to kill.

Something that was against the Fairy Tail code unless absolutely necessary.

"It'll be alright, I promise. How about you wait behind a tree and then we walk back together. I think it's for the best if we return to Magnolia tonight."

"Mmhmm."

Rien was reminded of a small child clinging to their mother. She sighed, bringing up a hand to run through Natsu's hair with a small blush on her face. Whenever she was sick or scared, her aunt used to perform this same action for her, and it never failed to soothe her.

She only hoped the same could be said for Natsu.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I was gone for so long! It's been a crazy time in the semester. Anywho, I hope this chapter is to your satisfaction, I apologize if you expected a longer mission, but I don't see that being something Rien would be comfortable doing alone with Natsu yet. And I'm also sorry they didn't go camping after all, but that's just how it be sometimes. After what they experienced, I imagine Rien wanting to get answers as soon as possible, even if that's not the most helpful thing she could be doing for our poor dragon-slayer. So yeah. This was a really important scene that I've had in my head for a long time. Rien works with case-studies and data rather than matters of the heart. She may not have been able to notice the connection between her and Natsu before, but I wonder what she'll see now?**

 **Next time: Rien and Natsu get some answers?**


	15. Chapter 15

**15 Ways to Handle the Truth**

Rien was beyond worried.

Natsu was nearly unresponsive, his face blank. The entire time they'd traveled back to the guild he hadn't spoken a word to either her or Wynn. At the same time, he refused to let her not be in some sort of contact with him, and if he felt she was straying too far he'd pull her back against his side and grasp her hand just a little more tightly.

They flew Wynn as close to the guild as they could get before walking the rest of the way on foot. In the evening sky, there was still too much light for the Wyvern to fly in without being seen by the rest of the town. Rien did her best to keep her posture relaxed as they went. If she were tense and scared, it would only serve to amplify Natsu's own feelings on the manner. At least, that's what she assumed. When it came to Natsu, she still didn't know him well enough for her magic to get an accurate prediction on his behavior, and it bothered her to no end. She hated the feeling of helplessness that accompanied them through the back streets of Magnolia.

When they arrived at the guild, Rien could have cried with relief. She guided Natsu to a side door only mere feet from the stairs that would lead them up to the Master's office. She could sense that Laxus was already there in deep discussion with the elder man. Which was good seeing as they both likely knew what was going on.

She had a million questions running through her head, all centered around Natsu. Why had he tried so hard when she ran away? Why did he always want to sleep at her home, in her bed? Why did he always want to be in contact with her, and why could she calm him when no one else could? Why was it that he was willing to go to such extremes for her, almost killing the Game Master and now the Bandits?

Plagued by her own thoughts, she hardly noticed they had already arrived at the Master's office until they were standing at his door. She looked up at Natsu, wondering if the Dragon-Slayer would knock, but he still seemed just as despondent as before.

"Come in."

Of course, Laxus had heard their arrival. Rien pushed the door open gently, just enough for them to slip inside. She continued to hold Natsu's hand as she bit her lip nervously.

"Is something wrong?" Makarov asked. Though his face did not betray his emotions, Rien suspected by his body language and tense shoulders that he was already expecting information along the road of what she was about to relay.

"Sir. Natsu and I are… concerned about recent behaviors of his."

For the first time in hours, Natsu made a noise as he scoffed. His hand left Rien's so as to follow it's a partner as both palms slapped down harshly on the wooden desk, rattling it against the floor.

"Concern is an understatement. There's something going on and I need to know what it is damn it. Whenever Rien gets hurt, my dragon side kicks in and I've almost killed several people because of it. Every time I'm away from her, my instincts scream for me to find her again and I can't think of anything else. None of this happened before, so why now?!"

Rien was taken aback, and somewhere in her mind, she noted that the Master and Laxus seemed to be expecting this. She'd known about Natsu almost killing people (she was there), but she'd had no idea that it had been such a struggle for him to not physically be around her. Her mind was swimming as she recalled the stress Natsu truly must have been undergoing.

"Come with me Natsu. You two should hear this separately."

It was Laxus who spoke, gesturing for his fellow dragon slayer to follow him outside. The pinkettes gaze flickered to Rien, who gave him a wobbly smile of encouragement. There was no safer place for her to be than with Makarov, and it was time for them to get some answers. Watching Natsu's hesitation startled her, but reminded her all the more why they were there in the first place.

"We'll reconvene later, I promise," Rien said gently. Finally, Natsu relaxed. He nodded once to Laxus who nodded back and directed him outside.

"Now then Rei, why don't you take a seat," Makarov asked kindly. The girl felt like she was walking on eggshells, her body stiff as she sat before the older man.

"I assume you have more questions than I can hear in a day," The Master joked "so why don't I explain the gist of things and then you can tell me if I've missed anything."

"Agreed."

"Very well then. I assume you know a bit about dragon slayers based on the research you've done to find Natsu's father and better understand his magic. However, since you haven't already solved this mystery, you are missing a very vital piece of the puzzle."

"Yes. It's very… frustrating." The girl admitted.

"I imagine it would be." There was a glint in Makarov's eyes, almost as though they were laughing. However, with one blink they returned to their serious state. "Dragons, as well as dragon slayers, are designated a mate at birth. Allow me to explain how that works. You, better than most mages I'd say, understand magic and it's connectivity to our world. That it is just as alive as you or me."

Rien could only nod her head in agreement as her mouth had gone dry.

"Dragon magic and dragon slayer magic are extremely powerful. Gone unchecked, these creatures could no doubt rule over all of existence, which would completely tip the scales of balance and magic. In order to combat this, they are given a mate, one who can be their equal, who is able to stop them when need be. Some believe that there is a higher God who makes this selection, though there have been several accounts from dragons that it is magic which determines their mate. Magic, which knows a person to their very core, will create an attraction between the two mages or magic users. Completely natural. It's hard to explain, but in the same way people can be attracted to different body types, the mate is their ideal person."

Rien's eyes were so wide they looked as though they might pop out of their sockets. Makarov knew she could predict where he was going with his talk. He decided to give her a few minutes to process the information before continuing.

"When a dragon slayer makes contact with their mate, a bond will begin to form. This first stage mostly affects the dragon slayer unless their mate is also a dragon slayer. It is in their instinct to protect and keep their intended safe until the mating time comes. For slayers, this is when they reach maturity at the age of eighteen. The mating takes place in stages. As soon as the slayer is officially eighteen years of age, they will be drawn to find their mate immediately. They will then mark the neck of their mate, forging a bond between them. Their mate will begin to share similar instincts and be able to sense their emotions. From there, it is a matter of time that makes the bond grow stronger. From my understanding, the strength of the bond depends on the openness and care mates are willing to give each other. Every relationship is different."

Rien swallowed. Hard.

"I- I don't understand…" The brunette trailed off, feeling faint.

"You do," Makarov answered patiently. He folded his hands together and covered his mouth with them, waiting.

"Natsu and I…"

"Yes."

There was silence again. The old man would have been content to sit and wait, but when a tear trailed down her cheek, he couldn't hold still. How could he when one of his children was crying? Makarov hopped out of his seat and approached with gentle steps. He reached out, grabbing one of her hands.

"I'm not… good enough."

"Now you listen here." Makarov spoke sternly, squeezing her hand in his own "I could not think of a better match for Natsu than you. Since he's begun to spend more time around you, he's calmed. He is more content and at peace than I've ever seen him. Every day, he used to storm through our doors and shout for information on Igneel. The past few months have been one issue after another, but when it comes to you, Natsu is finally happy. The kind of happiness that brings you nothing but peace and reassurance. Rei, it's supposed to be you."

There was a feeling bubbling within her, something she didn't like. Her heart was racing, palms sweating, tears pooling in her eyes, and suddenly she couldn't get enough oxygen in her lungs and it _hurt._ There was a burst of energy in her feet, a buzzing, and all she could think to do at that moment was run. It was complete and utter panic.

She needed to run.

"I-I need to go. I-I need-"

"Rei, the bond has already started forming." Makarov interrupted, worry in his brow. "The more distance you try to put between you and Natsu, the more it will hurt you both."

"I won't go far. I won't." She swore. The buzzing now carried through the entirety of her legs and if she didn't start running immediately she felt like she might explode.

"I have to go."

And then she was off, bursting through the door. She jumped straight off the banister, making sure to roll her body on the landing so as not to hurt her feet. Once they made contact with the wood she was sprinting again, not able to see those around her through her blurred eyesight but knowing where to go due to her magic and the many hours she'd spent in the building. In mere seconds she was out the door, rushing through the busy streets.

* * *

It made so much sense.

The world _finally_ made sense again.

She was his mate.

Just the thought brought a goofy smile to his face. Rien was his mate. His mate. She was meant to be with him, and he was meant to be with her. He didn't hear much of what Laxus had to say after that. His entire body felt warm. It wasn't weird that he wanted to spend so much time with Rien. In fact, he could spend even more time with her now if he wanted. Which he did. He wanted to be around her all the time, holding her in his arms, listening to her talk about her books or possible futures she'd seen and even how she was doing with making friends in the guild.

It wasn't until he realized that Rien's scent was getting farther away that he was snapped out of his daydreaming.

She was leaving? Why?

"Natsu, she needs some space." Master Makarov spoke sternly, tearing through his worry. The dragon slayer hadn't even noticed the old man arrive, though he could tell by his rigid posture that something was wrong.

"Is she okay?" He asked, fighting every urge in his body to run after her. The only reason he hadn't was that the Master had asked him not too. At least not yet.

"Rei is having a hard time processing everything." The elder worded carefully. Natsu's eyes widened.

"Is she rejecting me?!"

"Of course not!" This time, it was Laxus. "If there's one thing I can tell you, it's that that girl has it bad for you. I could tell from how she responded to you on our vacation." This only relaxed him marginally. So he wasn't being rejected; that was good. But if Rien was in pain then he was far from happy. "Listen. For someone like Rien, with the magic she has, she likes to be in control. She doesn't like to put herself out there and take risks. Everything is calculated. With us being dragon-slayers, we always knew that we would be given a mate and finding them is one of the greatest moments of our lives. For her, a human, she's just found out her future was planned for her and she had no control over it. She may come to be happy with the results, but she'll need time to accept this reality." The blonde explained. "She never saw this coming."

"I'm going to check on her." By the time the sentence was out of his mouth, he was already halfway to the door. Laxus moved to block him.

"Damn it Natsu, did you hear anything I just said?!"

"She's **my mate** and she's in pain." The pinkettes eyes had narrowed into dangerous slits, his words coming out in a growl. "Don't make me force you out of my way."

"Step aside Laxus." Makarov sighed. His grandson did as told, giving him an accusatory glare as they watched Natsu run after her.

"We've done all we can. Now it's up to them."

* * *

He tracked her scent all the way to the basement of her apartment building. The proximity made him feel better, yet he knew he wouldn't feel completely at ease until he could see her with his own eyes. The smell of tears was faint, meaning she hadn't cried in a while.

There was a note on the door.

 _Natsu_

 _Firstly, I want you to know that I am not angered by the knowledge we've recently acquired, nor do I feel resentment towards you or the situation we find ourselves in. At present, I find that I need time to meditate and reflect on what we've learned and how it will affect our lives moving forward. Please do not try to initiate conversation nor invade the sanctuary I have found here. I will seek you out when I am ready to do so and we may converse on how to handle these new circumstances moving forward._

 _Deepest Regards_

 _Rien_

"Rei?!" Natsu shouted, ignoring the note completely. He began hammering his fist against the door. "Rei, I know you're in there! I can smell you! Please, just come talk to me."

Nothing.

"Rei, you don't have to be scared. I know I wasn't there in the past when you needed me, but I'm here now. I'm your mate. I'm always going to be here for you. We can figure this out together. Please."

He waited, holding his breath, only to release it a few moments later when there was still no response. He turned, letting his body rest against the door and slumped to the floor. Forcing his way through wasn't going to work with Rien. She was stubborn. If he made it through, she'd shut him out even more, just like she had the first time she ran from the guild, or when she tried to sneak away for the Gamemaster mission on her own. He'd have to try something else.

"I'm not going to leave you here to think alone. I'll be right here until you're ready."

The small hitch in her breath he heard through the door was enough. He let his head fall back, settling into a more comfortable position and waited.

* * *

Time was nothing. Rien could have been sitting there for minutes or days, and she wouldn't have known the difference. The reason she had poured her heart into learning probability magic was to be in control, to know what was going to happen before it happened, and now she did.

She'd lived out hundreds of moments. She could see a little boy shopping with his mom, and knew by the small gap between two stones that he would trip before his mother finished purchasing his candy. She saw fishing boats leave the dock and predicted they would come back with a larger haul than expected before they even made it out of the harbor. Baby birds flying for the first time, flowers that would get picked for bouquets, the routes pets would lead their owners on walks, injuries that would occur, instances that seemed like miracles, and everything in between. Her magic was open, welcoming every possibility she could retain with nearly perfect accuracy.

The brunette was lost.

The predictions continued.

Time was nothing.

* * *

"Enough is enough." Lucy had decided this beforehand and was just now informing Gray and Gajeel as she recruited them for her plan.

"I don't know if I'm more surprised that he's still sitting outside the door or that she's still behind it. They were there all night." Gray sighed, scratching the back of his head. Gajeel grunted.

"16 hours, actually."

"See why I need your help?" The blonde frowned. "You need to get Natsu away from that door so I can go in and talk to Rei."

"Bunnygirl, his mate is behind there and she's in distress. The force of the entire magic council couldn't get him away from that door."

"Then convince him." She hissed, eyes narrowing. "There has to be something."

"We could challenge him to a fight?" Gray suggested meekly, trying to come up with anything that would satisfy the woman among them. When Lucy got that look on her face, there would be hell to pay.

"That won't work." The iron dragon-slayer turned down. "He's fighting a different battle right now."

"Maybe you could take him out to train," Lucy suggested. "Tell him it will help him protect Rien better or something."

Both men raised an eyebrow.

"Fine! I'll do it myself. Geez. I don't know why I called you." The blonde groaned, trudging down the stairs. Natsu was in the same spot she'd seen him two hours previous when she came to check on him after waking up for the day, looking as alert as ever. If she had to guess, he was listening to Rien's breathing and making sure that nothing had changed.

"Hey, Natsu-"

"I'm not moving Luce."

The girl sighed. "Let me talk to her, please? Remember I got her to let me in before, I bet I can do it again. She's just… probably not ready to talk to you yet. This is difficult stuff Natsu. I promise if you let me talk to her, you'll get to see her again sooner."

She hadn't broken him yet, but she was getting there. She could see it in the curious look in his eyes, so she continued pressing. "If you let me in there, I can get her out in less than an hour. If you don't, who knows how much longer you'll be sitting here? Could be another day or more. I'm your best friend. You can trust me with your mate. She's my friend too. Just go and train with Gray and Gajeel for a little bit. And yes, you do have to go. She can sense when you're near. If you give us a little space, she'll be more likely to talk."

She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping this would work.

"... If it takes longer than an hour I'm coming back."

"Yes!" Lucy cheered. She held out a hand, offering it to help the dragon-slayer up. "The boys are waiting for you upstairs. Leave this to me."

Natsu nodded. He ran his fingertips along the door as he stood, a look of longing coating his face, then forced his body to move away from the door and up the stairs. Lucy waited. Her hearing may not be as good as Natsu or Gajeel, but she could tell when his footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs and heard the door to their building shut.

"Rien? It's me, Lucy. It's only us now. You can open the door."

She waited, her brow furrowing. She'd been so sure that if she got Natsu to leave, Rien would open the door for her. There was a feeling of dread forming in the pit of her stomach. What if something had happened to the small brunette and she physically couldn't open the door?

"Loke" Lucy spoke softly, knowing the spirit would hear her "Can you please summon yourself to the other side and check on her? And open the door for me?"

She let her body relax. She trusted Loke with everything.

Moments later, the door opened. Loke's mouth was curved into a small frown.

"What's wrong?" The blonde asked. She filtered her gaze past the celestial spirit to rest on her smaller friend. The girl was sitting with her legs crossed and her posture stiff. Her hands rested on her knees, enveloped in the same red glow as the rest of her body. And although her eyes were open, she gave no indication that she had seen them.

"She's using her magic. If I had to guess, she's looking into possible futures, one after the other."

"Why?" Lucy cried. She knelt down and reached out, letting her hand hover just above Rien's. She wasn't sure if it was safe to touch her or not.

"I'd say this is her way of lashing out. Her magic isn't destructive, so if she lets it take over, this would be the result." Loke explained. He stepped forward and moved next to Lucy. "I'll touch her first. Just to make sure it's safe."

He reached out, pressing his hand softly against the skin of her forearm. There was a small twitch. Her body recognized the touch, though her mind was still elsewhere. At least he knew Lucy wouldn't get hurt. The spirit gave her the go-ahead before returning to the spirit world, wanting to give the girls' their space.

"Rei-" The celestial mage started again, gently grasping Rien's hand with her own "It's me. Lucy. Can we talk?"

The brunette softly squeezed her hand back, so the blonde continued. "I know you're freaking out right now, but everything is going to be okay. You and Natsu will be so good for each other, I know you will. And he would never hurt you on purpose. He needs someone patient like you that knows that. More than anything though, he wants this. He wants _you_. Did you sense him outside? He waited at the door for you for 16 hours just to make sure you were safe. He's really happy that you're his mate Rei, and he wants to talk to you about it. Please, come back. I'm right here. It'll be okay."

The light that surrounded Rien which had once been an angry red dulled into a soft pink. Her eyes blinked several times, searching the room until they met a similar pair in chocolate brown.

"Lucy?"

"Rei?"

"Oh my Mavis, Lucy!" It took two seconds for Rien to fall forward into her friends awaiting arms. Her throat felt choked up as tears streamed down her cheeks and landed on Lucy's shirt. One after the other, without pause.

"Rei, I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. I wish I knew what you were going through so I knew how to comfort you." The blonde whispered, holding her close.

A lightbulb went off Rien's head.

Maybe she didn't have to be alone in this.

Maybe she didn't have to navigate this pain and confusion alone.

She didn't need to be the only one with this suffocating weight on their chest

Because

"Laxus is your mate."

Rien didn't hear Lucy's startled gasp because she was swept into another vision. A vision where Laxus and Lucy had never looked so disappointed in her and Lucy was devastated that she had to hear it from someone else before Laxus told her. Where the foundation of their relationship became the lies they had told, where Lucy felt insecure about Laxus not wanting her and Laxus had never come to terms with being good enough for her. The rest of the guild was furious, not understanding how she could have betrayed her friends in such a way. Even Mira was giving her the cold shoulder, and every time the master saw how miserable his grandson was he couldn't help but shoot Rien a glance.

Rien wanted to cry. Not only would she lose Lucy and Laxus, but she'd lose the entire guild too.

She couldn't let that happen.

She couldn't.

"Is it true?" Lucy whispered, and the brunette could already feel her heartbreaking.

So she reached out.

Placed her thumb on the girl's forehead

And

" **Variable Manipulation: Memory."**

Lucy's brown eyes rolled into the back of her head; her body sagging further into Rien and the ground.

She could have screamed.

What had she done?

 _ **A/N: Umm, hi? First off, I'm really sorry for not updating in like, 6 months. Part of it was being stuck, part of it was being not motivated, and part of it was my own personal struggles. But hey, the chapter is out now, right?**_

 _ **I can not believe how incredible the support for this story has been. When I first published it, being a work that was more free with less integration of characters and plot, I never expected that by Chapter 15 there would be 145 favorites and 179 follows. Seriously, every single one of you out there, thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart. Rien is a character I made because I wanted to see a story like hers told and I never found it. I wanted to show the value of her type of powers and how she might fit into a world like this. I'm so glad many of you have enjoyed reading about her just as much as I've enjoyed writing her.**_

 _ **The next two chapters are already outlined and will finish up this mini arch about Rien and Natsu figuring out they're mates. And the way it wraps up may surprise many of you, so I hope that I get to it soon because I can't wait to hear what you think.**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**16 Ways to See Your Faults**

The first thing Rien did was cut off her magic. At least she tried. Her mind had been open to the magic for so long that she was still getting images, even though she didn't want them. It was like blinking, so it was hard to make sense of everything, but she thought she could see her guildmates, each of them angry and disappointed. For the first time in many years, she didn't know what to do. Her magic was supposed to make things better, but instead, it had made everything worse. And as she stared down at Lucy's unconscious body, Rien had never felt worse in her life.

How had everything gone so wrong?

Except that was the one thing she did know. It was her own fault, really. She never should have pushed Natsu away the way she did. Even if she didn't know how to be his mate, she still could have been his friend. Instead, she got so caught up in her own feelings that she ignored how he might feel. In fact, she left him sitting outside the door for hours. What kind of person was she?

And now there was Lucy. In a moment of selfishness, she could have ruined Lucy's life. Additionally, instead of talking it out, she went ahead and erased her memorize.

She was disgusting.

Rien pulled herself off the floor, the movements feeling mechanical. She needed to focus on one task at a time. It wasn't much, but at the very least she could put Lucy in her bed instead of leaving her on the floor.

As she reached down to pick Lucy up, there was a golden flash and then Loke was next to her, swooping up Lucy's unconscious body. He wouldn't look at her as he began to walk up the stairs.

"I don't need to tell you how stupid that was, do I?"

"No," Rien answered, trailing after him awkwardly. She didn't doubt Loke's ability to care for Lucy, but her mind wouldn't settle until she saw the girl safe.

"We do stupid things to the people we love when we're hurt. I know that." Loke sighed. He opened the door to Lucy's apartment and began to cross the room, still speaking to Rien over his shoulder. "That doesn't make them okay, but it makes them forgivable."

"Are you mad?" The brunette asked timidly. Looking at her now, one wouldn't see an all-powerful mage of Fairy Tail. Instead, she looked like a small, frightened child.

"When it comes to hurting people to protect the ones we care about, I'm not one to judge." The spirit spoke seriously. "You were trying to protect Lucy and Laxus, but more than that you were trying to protect yourself."

"I was."

"She'll forgive you."

Rien perked at this, only to deflate again. "She shouldn't."

"But she will. Because that's our Lucy." Laxus sighed, staring fondly at the blonde who he'd tucked into bed. "She'll be mad at first, but she'll forgive you."

"I-I'm so sorry."

"I know."

" I need to go. I need to think and I- I can't be here."

"I'll let you go, but only if you make a promise to me." The lion spirit answered, finally looking the girl straight in the eyes. "Come back. Don't you dare run away from the people who care about you again. You got it?"

"I understand." She agreed, tears glistening in her eyes. Loke turned away which Rien took as her signal to go. The girl took one last look at Lucy, who looked so peaceful in her bed, and swore to herself that she would earn her forgiveness. Somehow.

* * *

An hour later, the blonde opened her eyes. She sat up quickly, not recalling how she'd gotten there. In fact, she couldn't even remember entering her apartment. She'd gone to talk to Rien and…?

"Glad to see you're awake," Loke spoke. He was sitting next to her in a chair. Gray and Gajeel were there too, one sitting at her kitchen table while the other leaned against the wall. Hadn't they gone to distract Natsu?

"What happened?"

"That's what we'd like to know." Gray huffed, standing up from his seat. He shot a hard glare at the spirit in the room. "But Loke won't tell us anything."

"It's not important."

"We find Bunny girl unconscious in her bed with Rien nowhere to be found and Natsu ready to tear up half of Magnolia looking for her, and you think that isn't important?" Gajeel huffed, nostrils flaring. "I have half a mind to make you talk."

"Hold on, what do you mean Rien is gone?!" Lucy asked, flying out of the bed. She was on her feet in an instant, ready to charge towards the door. "We have to find her!"

"Maybe retracing your steps will help. What did you two talk about?" Gray wondered. Lucy stared back in confusion.

"Conversation? What'd you mean? The last thing I remember we were on our way over here."

"Natsu told us he clearly left you at the door getting ready to talk to Rien. Loke went to the other side to open it for you." Gajeel said slowly. Lucy turned to her spirit, eyes wide.

"Loke?"

* * *

"It's funny how we always end up here, huh?" Rien spoke sadly, hand running across the scales on Wynn's face. They were back in a tangle of vines, blocking the outside world so Rien could concentrate on her thoughts. The Wyvern whined, wrapping his tail more tightly around the brunette in a show of comfort. Rien knew it pained him to see her like this, but he was the only one she trusted with everything. He was her greatest source of comfort in a world where she felt all alone.

"You know I love you, right?" She asked gently. Wynn bumped his nose against her head, eliciting a small giggle. The message was clear; " _duh"._

"Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you. I think… I think I've ruined everything."

The Wyvern nuzzled against her again. No matter what happened, he would always be with her.

* * *

"I saw everything," Loke confessed, addressing the group as a whole. "But before I tell you what happened, I want you to understand why she did what she did. I know it isn't an excuse, but there is an immense amount of shame that comes with hurting people in order to protect those you care about. If I had her powers, I can't say with certainty I wouldn't have done the same."

"She erased Bunny girl's memory, didn't she?" Gajeel finished.

"Yes."

Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She trusted Rien, had gone out of her way to talk to and comfort her and she had erased her memory? She hadn't even known the mage was capable of that kind of magic!

"Why?" The celestial mage demanded, tears pooling in her eyes. "Why would she do that?!"

"I can't tell you," Loke answered.

"Can't, or won't?" Grey demanded, his voice rising.

"Fine. I won't. Lucy, it won't hurt you to not know what Rei erased. In fact, it's better you don't. Keep in mind that she can see multiple outcomes of the future. Although she acted irrationally, she probably made the best decision she could have made."

"First you say there's no excuse, and now you're siding with her?!" The ice mage yelled, slamming his fist on the table. "What is wrong with you? She erased Lucy's memories. Nobody has the right to do that!"

"And Rei didn't have the right to reveal what she said either!" Loke yelled back. "You think this is easy?! I'm not her. I can't tell if what I'm doing is right, but I have to go with my gut. For the sake of Lucy's happiness, it has to stay secret. I would never do anything to harm her, you know that."

"Do I?"

"Stop!" The blonde cried, throwing herself in front of Loke. "Grey, I'm upset too, okay? They were my memories. But I trust Loke and… I do trust Rien. Even though I'm mad at her right now. She never would have done this if she thought it would hurt me. I know she wouldn't. This is already hard enough as it is. Please don't fight. I can't take that right now."

"And what do you think Gajeel?" Grey asked as he forced his posture to relax. He'd back down, for now.

"If Rei said what I think she might have said, then this is for the best. I do want to talk to her first though. To make sure. Maybe knock her head a little."

"Then you all should go to the guild," Loke suggested. His body began to fade as he returned to the spirit world. "I have a feeling Rei will be there soon."

* * *

Natsu barely took note of the forest around him as he followed Rien's scent. When they'd returned to the girls' building only for his mate to be gone and Lucy unconscious, he'd nearly lost it. His first thought was that Rien had rejected him and ran away. Then, after the panic, he worried about if Lucy was okay. Though once he'd confirmed she was, his attention was drawn back to the brunette girl who he couldn't seem to get off his mind. Where had she gone? Was she okay? He refused to be apart from her any longer; not until he had answers. And he'd been running after her ever since.

He didn't think he would be able to cope with her rejecting him. All his life he wondered who his mate would be; he thought about the lessons his father had given him on how to bond with his mate and how to care for her. Igneel had told him that she would be the best thing that ever happened to him, and he was right.

Before he'd found Rien, all he could focus on was the hole in his heart for his missing father. Fairy Tail was his new family and they helped ease the pain, and yet he was constantly aware of its presence. But the closer he got to Rien, the more that went away. She was not Igneel and he would never stop looking for him, but slowly his heart was making room for her too. When they were together, he never felt lonely. He felt safe and warm. Her presence was addicting. It was why he'd followed her and Laxus to the water park and why he continued to sleep in her bed. At the end of the day, he needed Rien. He didn't care if it was because she was his chosen mate, he wanted her. But more than that, he wanted her to want him too.

The dragon-slayer knew he had found her when he came upon a vine tent in the middle of the woods. It was just like the one Wynn had made the first time Rien had run from the guild, the day they realized how awful they'd treated her. Never again.

The tears he smelled said otherwise.

Natsu felt like his heart could tear in two. His mate was hurt. She was crying. He needed to hold her, to comfort her and fix whatever was wrong.

"Wynn." He spoke, placing a hand on one of the vines. "Can I come in?"

Slowly, the vine moved away, giving Natsu a vision of the scene inside. Wynn was wrapped tightly around Rien who had been tucked comfortably into his side. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, holding onto him while she cried.

"Natsu?" He heard Rien ask. He knelt down before her, holding out a hand.

Rien launched herself at him.

* * *

"Natsu, I'm so sorry," The brunette cried burying her face into his chest. Here she was, trying to apologize, and all she could think was that this was the first time she'd truly felt at peace all day.

"It's okay." He hushed, wrapping his arms around her body. He rocked them back and forth slowly while running a hand through her hair. "It's okay Rei. It'll be okay. Please don't cry."

"How can you comfort me after I hurt you? I ran away, I left you sitting outside a door for hours I-"

"Stop." He cut her off, covering her mouth with a hand. "Don't apologize. Not to me."

Rien pulled his hand away slowly, lacing her fingers through his own and squeezing lightly. "But I owe it to you the most."

"No matter what you do, I will always be here and I will always forgive you. To me, that's what it means to be your mate. You're always going to have me Rei, so rely on me more." It was the first time he'd referred to her as his mate aloud, and it made the brunette's heart swell. Rien sighed, resting her forehead against his own.

"I'm still so afraid. I don't know how to be your mate. I don't know if whoever made that decision made the right choice."

Natsu adjusted their bodies so that the probability mage was resting comfortably against his chest before he spoke. "Every dragon slayer is different, and so is the relationship between mated pairs. Even though the steps are the same, we can approach this however we want. Maybe to you, we don't seem like a good match, but I know that we are. Until you're ready and you feel like we're right for each other, there's no pressure to change anything. If you need more time to see that you're perfect for me, I'll give you more time. It's simple."

"But-"

"Nope. Simple." Natsu repeated, tweaking her nose. "So don't give up on me, okay?"

"I won't, I promise. But before we start making any changes, and I think we should make a few, there's something I need to tell you first."

"Anything. "

"Before you came here, I erased Lucy's memory because I told her something I shouldn't have. And that was wrong of me. Loke said that Lucy will forgive me, but I don't think I can forgive myself. Not yet. I don't know what to do about that, and I don't want to use my powers because that's what got us into this mess."

"Well, that's easy. The first thing to do is talk to Luce." Natsu answered without missing a beat. Rien blinked.

"You… aren't mad? I erased your best friend's memory without her consent!"

"Families make mistakes. Then they fix them. Lucy might be mad but you're her Nakama, so don't worry too much."

"...You're not even a little mad?"

"I'm not happy, but it already happened and it's not like we can change the past. We're a team now Rei. Like I said, rely on me more. We'll fix it together."

Although part of her still felt she needed to handle her problems on her own, Rien could admit there was an appeal to accepting Natsu's help. Not to mention she had just pushed him away for almost an entire day. And as she thought about their conversation, she realized that she wanted to give this a chance. Natsu was so confident that she was the right choice for him, and she longed to feel that confidence too. This right here was the first step. Letting Natsu help her and accepting that they were going to face this issue together. The brunette smiled and nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

Lucy sat on a barstool, eyes glued to the door.

"You know, staring isn't going to make them come back any faster." Gajeel sighed. He was seated next to her, chomping on a piece of metal from the extra scrap-pile he kept at the guild.

"Shush." Lucy waved him off.

"Che, suit yourself."

Another few minutes past. Luckily, most of the guild was off on jobs and the members who were present were drunk off their asses, so they weren't paying attention. The blonde didn't think she could handle people asking her questions she didn't have the answers to herself. Nothing would be resolved until she had a chance to talk to Rei.

The door opened.

The blonde's breath hitched.

It was just Nab.

Lucy wanted to throw up her hands with frustration.

However, someone caught the door before it closed. The blonde straightened up again. It felt like forever until the door opened all the way, revealing the two people who were making their way inside.

Natsu and Rien.

The brunette was standing slightly behind the dragon slayer as though she were trying to hide. Her attempts were futile. Her mate, not giving her the chance, began to drag the girl towards the bar. Lucy was already up meeting them halfway.

"You'll be fine," Natsu promised, squeezing Rien's hand. Lucy stared at Rien once they reached each other, not even saying hello to her best friend.

"You're an idiot," Lucy said, her voice breaking. She stepped forward, pulling Rien into a hug.

"I know."

"You shouldn't have erased my memories."

"I know."

"Or run away."

"Agreed."

"O-or rejected my help in the first place!"

"I'm sorry."

Lucy pulled back. Both of them were crying. The celestial mage wiped the water onto her sleeves before continuing. "I'm mad. I have every right to be mad. And I'm not ready to stop being mad yet. But sometimes, friends get mad at each other and they have to trust that at the end of the day, they still care about each other. I'm not going to abandon you Rei. Okay?"

"I realize that now. I do owe you an apology, Lucy. I am very sorry. But please, do not ask what I erased. I don't want to make things worse. I promise I'll tell you after you find out for yourself. I will."

"I trust you," Lucy confirmed, and it truly lifted a weight off Rien's heart. Everything was going to be okay. "But as I said, I'm still upset right now. So I'm going to go home, cool off and work on accepting everything that happened. I think you should do the same. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Rien agreed. Just like that, the burdens of the day were taken care of. Natsu and Lucy had forgiven her, and she and Natsu were going to see if they could be mates after all. However, there was one more obstacle that Rien would have to face before she could truly move on, and it needed to happen tomorrow.

She needed to give her final decision to the guild. There was no point in waiting until the end of the six weeks had panned out. She knew what her decision was going to be. First, she'd talk with Natsu, and then she'd tell the guild.

Tomorrow.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ayyyeeee. I wish I could tell you that you'll actually get to hear her answer tomorrow buuuuttt…. You probably won't. I just banged this chapter out of nowhere, so I apologize if it's not the best, but I needed to put something out there to keep the ball rolling. So yes, her decision is coming next chapter and no, that will not be the end of the story. There is still a lot of development to go and a lot of unanswered questions.**_

 _ **Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger. See you next time!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 ~ 17 Ways to Speak Your Truth**

Rien couldn't sleep that night. Her mind was spinning. Was she making the right decision? How was she going to tell the guild? How was she going to tell Natsu? Would he even understand? Well, obviously she'd have to tell him in the morning before they went to the guild. She couldn't blindside him with the news.

The girl desperately tried to think of anything else to distract her mind. She didn't want to use her powers to look forward, not after the disaster of yesterday; and she didn't want to wake Natsu either. The poor dragon slayer was exhausted. He'd climbed into bed after her, immediately wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head in her shoulder. Her first instinct had been to run her hands through his hair, soothing him with the reassurance of her presence. It wasn't long after that until he fell asleep.

As she reflected on everything that had led to this moment, Rien let herself think back to the first member of Fairy Tail she encountered on her way back to the guild after her years in the forest.

* * *

" _Wynn, let's walk for a little bit. Once we get back to Magnolia I won't be able to stay with you all the time. At least not until after I tell the guild about you. Still, I would prefer to say hello to people in town as well, and I fear that you will be far too intimidating to the average citizen" Rien giggled as she walked beside her Wyvern. The beast whined slightly but knew that he would be happy to go wherever she wanted. She was his pack; from now on they belonged together._

" _Well well, what have we here?" A voice asked. Rien cursed softly. She knew she should have scanned the area with her magic before they landed. A quick check led her to sense over 50 men surrounding them. She wouldn't be able to take on the men alone, but she may have a fighting chance if she and Wynn combined their magic together._

" _A creature like that could probably sell for a pretty jewel or two. Why don't you make this easy and hand it over?"_

" _My personal beliefs require that I ask you to withdraw your request before I go on the offensive. I warn you now, the outcome of this fight will not be in your favor. In fact, I'll make sure of it."_

" _A pretty mouth like yours sure does a lot of talkin'. Let's see if your fists can follow. Attack!"_

" _ **Kinesthesia: Relative Connection"**_ _Rien recited. Immediately, both she and Wynn were surrounded by the same red glow. The girl's magic had opened their senses to one another. They could feel each other's movements as well as the poachers around them. Their minds were connected, and Rien could plan Wynn's movements just as well as her own._

 _The two stayed close together. Wynn held a perimeter using vines, swatting away anyone that got too close. Of those who breached the barrier, Rien was ready to melee them into submission. Unfortunately, she didn't know what kind of magic they had until they got close, so she was guessing most of the time. A few blows managed to strike her on a first or second go, but once she had enough data her magic kept her one step ahead._

 _Unfortunately, Rien's magic had its limitations and so did her body. Keeping a connection open between herself and Wynn while also constantly predicting new outcomes and acting accordingly was taking a toll on her magical containers. They were depleting rapidly, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She needed to plan a final move and quickly._

" _ **Water Slicer"**_

 _Rien flipped out of the way just in time to avoid the torrents of water blades approaching her and the man she was fighting. As she landed beside her wyvern, she realized that the attack had never been aimed at her, and instead had taken out most of the men who'd jumped them. The girl looked up, surprised to see another mage had entered the fight. She berated herself for not having noticed her presence before. She needed to be more focused on her predictions. She was better than this._

" _ **Water Lock"**_

 _Now those who were trying to get close to her were encased in a large sphere of water. The mage from before approached her, an apathetic look on her face. She wore a conservative blue dress with matching headwear in shades darker than her own blue hair. White and yellow accents slightly brightened the outfit._

" _Juvia was heading to an escort mission when she heard fighting. She observed until she noticed the Fairy Tail mark on your neck. As you are a fellow guildmate, she has decided to step in."_

" _I-I see. Thank you for your assistance." Rien cursed. Why was this girl so beautiful?! It was intimidating. "W-we are very grateful. Unfortunately, o-offensive battle is not the st-strong suit of my magic. I apologize that we have not met before. I-I've been gone on a mission for a very long time. My name is R-Rien Lobelia. Member of Fairy Tail, and this is my Wyvern, Wynn. Y-you are Juvia, c-correct?"_

" _Yes. Tell Juvia, how do you feel about her Gray-Sama?"_

" _Gray Fullbuster? H-He seems nice. I c-can't say I've conversed with him before."_

" _Gray-sama is the nicest, most charming man in all of Fairy Tail. He is-"_

" _Damn it, did you forget about us?!" One man shouted. His fist was reared back, coated in a layer of a gelatinous substance. Juvia glared._

" _Juvia believes it is rude to interrupt a conversation._ _ **Water Cane."**_

 _A torrent of water blasted the man back, slamming him into a nearby tree. Rien took a defensive stance, reactivating her magic._

" _A-allow me to join you. It w-would be rude to expect you to d-defeat them on your own."_

" _Juvia can do so easily, but she will honor her guildmates wish. Let us fight together."_

* * *

Rien smiled fondly. She had talked to Juvia a few times since then, though neither had mentioned the encounter. At first, Juvia had avoided her, calling her a love rival, but once she noticed how clingy Natsu was to her she trusted Rien to leave Gray alone. Although her 3rd-person speech was kind of off-putting, she thought Juvia was a sweet girl. Perhaps she would help her get to know Gray better. Well, if she even had the chance.

She still didn't know how the day's announcement would go over.

"Rei? What's wrong?" The girl startled. So lost in thought, she hadn't felt Natsu shift. Though his arms were still around her, he'd tilted his head up to examine her face.

"It's-"

"Don't say it's nothing." He warned.

"-better we talk in the morning. I think." Rien finished, her voice growing small. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Then again, would she ever be?

"Let's talk now." The pinkette responded. He moved to sit up against the headboard, keeping only one arm around Rien so that she was secured against his side. "You don't have to keep anything from me."

That's right. Natsu was her...mate. The word still felt foreign to her, but in a way, it didn't feel _wrong_ either. She never skipped a beat when she thought it or spoke it aloud, it was only when she reflected on it that she began to feel uncomfortable. And Natsu had said so earlier himself; as her mate he was always going to be there for her. She didn't need her magic to predict that he wasn't going to let her go back to sleep now without saying what was on her mind. That was just how the stubborn dragon-slayer was. Beside's, she had promised herself that she would work on being open with him and accepting him as her mate, and she meant that promise. What difference did a few hours truly make?

"Actually, There is something I want to talk to you about…"

* * *

It took several hours of talking for Natsu to completely accept what she had told him. He was still visually upset by the news, but he'd promised to support her no matter what, and this was no exception.

"It's okay Rei. I'm still gonna be here. You can't get rid of me that easily." Huh? Why was he comforting her?

Oh. She was crying.

"Come here." The male sighed, pulling her into his arms. The natural warmth of his body was more soothing than anything else in the world. And he'd put just enough pressure to make her feel safe and secure without hurting her. Her heart skipped a beat. What would she do without this boy?

"Th-thank you Natsu." She sniffed.

"One day… I hope you'll come back Rei."

"I will. I promise I will."

Natsu shushed her softly. "It's okay. Try to get some sleep, yeah? It's a big day tomorrow."

"Technically today." The mage joked. Natsu chuckled.

"You're always right, aren't you?"

"Well...not always…" She trailed off, her mind pulling her back to what she'd done to Lucy. That would never be the right decision. Ever.

"Go to sleep Rei."

"I don't think I can."

"Then close your eyes and stop talking." The dragon slayer teased. He slid down, bumping his forehead softly against her own. Their breath mingled, which was oddly comforting. Rien felt herself slowly slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

The next morning went by with the brunette in a tizzy. Her heart was beating with anticipation. A large part of her was scared of what she was about to do, but there was another part of her that couldn't wait for the freedom she would feel to have this burden taken off of her shoulders. She hadn't realized until now how taxing it had been on her mind.

She made herself and Natsu eggs and toast for breakfast. It was the fastest thing she could whip up from what she had in the house. That day, she decided to wear a white off-the-shoulder long-sleeved top tucked into a red tulip skirt. She paired it with black over the knee boots. If she had to talk to the whole guild today, then she might as well dress up a little. She accessorized the look by tying her hair up into a messy bun and placing a black choker around her neck. If Natsu hadn't been there, she probably would have done a full face of makeup just to waste time, but since he was she went ahead to only put on mascara and lip gloss. Her palms were already sweaty by the time she was done, but there was no backing out. Not this time. She placed her keys in the pocket of her skirt

"Natsu, are you ready to go?" She called tentatively. She wished there was a way to fast-forward time so she could be where this was already over.

"I'm ready." The dragon-slayer stood up and turned, taking in her appearance. A small blush appeared on his cheeks. She looked beautiful. The boots and skirt made her legs appear longer than they actually were, and the shirt clung tightly to her body. Since she was completely uncovered above the breasts, he found his eyes drawn once more to the junction between her neck and shoulders which was emphasized by the choker. Realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat and turned away, holding out his hand to her. The tinkling sound of her giggle made his heart sore. He didn't care if she was laughing at him or not; he just wanted to hear her happy.

He hoped, more than anything, that the choice she was making would make her happy.

* * *

When they arrived at the guild, the place was packed. Several people called out hello's to them, and Rien even got a teasing catcall from Cana. The brunette felt guilty returning their greetings, but that only reaffirmed in her mind the reason she was making this decision.

Natsu walked her over to the stairs before she stopped them.

"Thank you, Natsu. For staying by my side. Unfortunately, I believe that I must be strong now and do this part alone." She hesitated for a moment. Why did she have to sound so informal? She'd meant to thank him for the strength he was giving her and for being by her side, and that's what he gets? For a moment, Nastu looked slightly off-put and hurt, but he shook it off quickly and replaced the look with a smile.

"Okay. I'll be right here the whole time."

The brunette bit her lip. Maybe there was another way she could express her gratitude.

Quickly, she pushed herself up onto her tip-toes (even with the heels on her boots Natsu was much taller) and pressed her lips against his cheek. It was just as warm and soft as she remembered it being last time. However, this time she refused to linger, and she dropped down just as quickly to turn and rush up the stairs and hide her blush. Right. She was also a bit drunk last time. Idiot.

Her feelings of turmoil on the matter disappeared when she reached the Master's office. Her hand went up, pausing just before she could knock on the door.

The moment of truth was now.

* * *

"Natsu, where is Rei going? I thought she'd want to talk to me first…" Lucy trailed off. She wasn't mad at Rien anymore and she was hoping they could clear the air now. Was Rien avoiding her because she was still mad?

"You'll find out soon," Natsu answered. His eyes followed Rien up the stairs and continued until she disappeared behind the door to the master's office. He wanted to respect Rien's privacy even though he could have listened in if he wanted too.

"Why not tell us now?" Erza wondered.

"She'll say it when she's back."

"Damn, what is with people keeping secrets around her suddenly." Gray groaned, throwing up his hands. "I thought we didn't do that anymore."

"It's not a secret if you'll find out in a minute ice face." Natsu gritted out. He was not going to let Gray ruin his mate's moment and he especially wasn't fond of the tone Gray was using, almost as though he were accusing Rien for the recent slew of problems.

"I'm just saying, first she won't say what she erased from Lucy's memories, now she won't even talk to us before she goes to talk to the master?"

"Gray. Enough. I have had many talks with the Master that have remained secret. You will respect Rei's privacy." Erza ordered, a dark look on her face. The ice mage backed off, though he still looked put out.

Natsu felt a gentle touch on his arm and looked over into the brown eyes of his best friend. They looked concerned.

"Natsu, are you okay?"

"Neh? Lucy, I'm fine." He smiled. Still, she could see the sadness in his eyes. His posture was stiff even though he was bent over to rest his weight on the counter. She wondered if Rien and Natsu had a fight. Then again, they'd come together holding hands and everyone had seen the brunette kiss his cheek before she fled up the stairs, so they couldn't be fighting, could they? What other explanation was there?

"You know you can tell me if you're not."

"It's complicated," Natsu explained. He turned his gaze to the opposite wall, but Lucy felt that he was seeing father than that. "I've never cared for someone the way I'm starting to care for Rien. It makes sense, she's my mate. But I never realized how difficult it would… I know what I want her to do, but that isn't what she wants to do. And if I got my way, she wouldn't be happy. So I have to learn how to be happy this way because I don't want to lose her. Man, that doesn't even make sense." He chuckled at the end. Lucy's eyes softened.

"It does. I just don't understand what you're disagreeing on."

"Have you had a miscommunication?" Erza pondered. Natsu shook his head.

"Nah. She was pretty clear about it."

"Well, did she take into consideration what you want?" Gray asked seriously. Natsu would forever be his rival, and yet another part of him knew he was also his friend. Besides, it was no fun arguing with him if he wouldn't reciprocate.

"She did. Man, I'm making it seem worse than it actually is. I sound like a girl~" Natsu whined. Lucy growled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Uhh, well, you know-"

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"

Fairy Tail quieted quickly at the booming sound of their master's voice. There was a large amount of tension coming from the older man who stood atop the balcony, Rien by his side. Despite the distance, it was easy to see that the wizard saint had tears in the corners of his eyes. He gestured to Rien and sat, signaling that the guild should give her all of their attention.

Rien stood tall. The timidness that she usually carried herself with was gone, replaced by confidence. This was it. She drew on the words the master had told her for courage.

" _If this is the decision you wish to make, then go and proclaim it boldly to Fairy Tail. That way, your family will know not to worry so much."_

"Hello everyone. Thank you for the patience you have graced me with. A few weeks ago, I asked you all to give me six weeks to make a decision as to whether or not I wanted to stay in the guild. Though it comes a bit before schedule, I must admit to you all that my decision is made. There is no reason to withhold it now for I know it will not change. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you today I am leaving Fairy Tail."

For a moment, no one spoke. Rien watched, gut-twisting as she saw the heartbroken looks on the guild's faces. She looked to Levy first, whose hands had come up to cover her mouth. Then there was Erza, whose fists were clenched in her lap. Lucy had turned to Natsu to see if it was true, and a nod was all the confirmation she needed. She noticed that Loke had also appeared by the door, giving her a thumbs up. He'd come to support her. It warmed her heart, knowing he had forgiven her. All she could hear was the blood pumping in her ears. She said it. She'd really said it.

"QUIET!" Makarov order. The brunette hadn't even noticed the uproar the guild was making she was so lost in her observations. She nodded to Makarov and began to speak again, ready to defend her reasoning.

"That fateful day I returned from my greatest mission, I incriminated all of you for not being a family to me. However, I realize now that I omitted my own faults. One cannot expect to make friends if they only study them from afar. While I did my best to be kind and make gestures of goodwill, I also hid and did not take credit for my deeds. I then proceeded to accuse you for not noticing, when the blame should have been mine. And yet as I say this, I know that those faults have not gone away. I still struggle to hold one-on-one conversations, nor do I have an exceptional understanding of what it means to be a friend. I accepted a quest that took several years to complete in order to earn your love when I could have done the same by simply saying hello or asking to join you for a meal. I tried to exploit Wynn, my greatest friend, in order to earn favor in your eyes. And when I harmed Lucy for a reason I cannot yet say, I tried to hide my misdeed because I was scared of losing everything I've been working so hard to build. None of this is healthy. If I want to build lasting relationships, I first need to take time to work on myself."

She paused, letting the information sink in. She wanted to make sure that they all understood; it wasn't their fault she was leaving. It was hers. They had done more than enough to make her feel welcome now; it was by her own violation that relationships were not blooming. Before she could accept their friendship, she needed to become someone who could truly reciprocate it.

"That being said, I could not promise to improve my friendships if I were not planning to stay in Magnolia. So know that I will remain here. While I will not be a member of the Fairy Tail guild, I would be incredibly grateful if you would allow me to continue to visit you all."

"Of course you can!" Cana shouted, raising her beer in the air. "You'll always be family."

"Hear hear!" Macao cried, raising his own drink.

" **HEAR HEAR!"** The guild cheered. Those who had drinks raised them in a toast, and those who didn't threw up their fists instead. Rien smiled as tears of happiness streamed down her face. She was so incredibly grateful to the Fairy Tail guild. They truly were a family, and she hoped that one day she could, in full truth, say they were her family too.

"And when you are ready child, we will welcome you back with open arms," Makarov spoke loudly for the guild. They all cheered in agreement. Though Rien was leaving, it was only temporary.

"The next time I receive the guild mark, it will be because I am ready to walk amongst you all as an equal." Rien finished. "Thank you for listening."

"Rien you silly girl, you can't leave without a Fairy Tail goodbye." This time it was Mira who spoke, having climbed the stairs to be next to the girl she considered a younger sister while everyone was cheering for her.

"That's right. While unplanned, we will be holding the Farewell ceremony here and now. I ask everyone to please make their way outside. We will join you shortly."

* * *

It took five minutes to clear out the guild. Only team Natsu, Makarov, and Rien remained. The brunette stood before the first group of friends she had made with a sad smile on her face.

"This is not goodbye," Lucy said fiercely. "You have to come over for dinner at least once a week. And visit Fairy Tail once a week too."

"Weekends would be great. You did promise to help with paperwork." The master coughed. Rien shook her head.

"Weekends will be perfect. I think Laxus would hunt me down himself if I didn't show up."

"Rei, I need to apologize," Gray said awkwardly. "After what happened yesterday, I was starting to doubt your intentions."

"Don't be sorry Gray. You were right to." Rien smiled. "And I'd like to think we're friends, so it's okay. I forgive you."

"Oi, of course, we're friends! C'mere-" The brunette squealed when Gray locked her in a nuggie and gently messed with her hair. Her eyes flashed red, and not even a second later she had escaped the lock in favor of wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Thanks, Gray."

"Rei~ Where's my hug?" Natsu pouted, though there was definite possessiveness in the way he pulled her out of Gray's arms. "You'll get a cold if you hug that twiggy icicle too long anyway."

"What'd you call me, flame pixie?"

"This is not the time for arguing," Erza said darkly. "Come, we must join our guildmates for the ceremony." She grabbed the two boys by their scruffs and proceeded to drag them out of the hall, ignoring their protests. Rien looked at Lucy and smiled.

"See you on the other side?"

"Absolutely. And we're going out tonight, to celebrate new beginnings. I'll even pay for you."

"Now that you mention it, I'll have to find another source of income." Rien hummed. "Perhaps I would be good at making pizza?"

"Rei, you'll be good at whatever you do." Lucy giggled. She grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "You're sure this is what you want?"

"I am. Thank you, Lucy, for being my first new friend in Fairy Tail."

The two girls hugged, and Lucy whispered good luck before she headed outside as well. Makarov scratched his beard, pretending he wasn't sniffling as he spoke.

"Here is how the ceremony will go. We'll walk outside together and precess past all of the members. Erza will be waiting for us at the end in her farewell armor. Then I will ask you to agree to the three rules for leaving Fairy Tail. Once you've consented, I'll remove your mark and everyone will launch magic into the air as our farewell to you. Understood?

"Yep. I think I know exactly how it will go." The girl teased, tapping her head. After all, predictions were her specialty.

* * *

Before the entire guild, Rien stood with Makarov. Erza was behind them, holding up a large Fairy Tail banner in her commemorative armor.

"Rien Lobelia, do you agree that you will never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live?"

"I do."

"And do you agree that you will never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain?"

"I do."

"And do you promise that though our paths may have diverged, you will continue to live out your life with all your might; that you will never consider your own life to be something insignificant; and that you will never forget about your friends who love you?"

"I promise."

"Then it is time."

Rien crouched and turned. The bun she'd worn kept all her hair out of the way so that her mark was fully exposed. Of course, that had been her intention in the first place. The master placed to fingers on her skin and mumbled the spell under his breath.

It was gone.

Rien felt it the moment the mark was removed from her skin. It was even more liberating than she'd hoped. No longer would she feel like she didn't live up to the virtues it was supposed to represent, nor would she question if people were more attracted to her mark than her person. From now on, she was just Rien Lobelia.

Well, Rei to her friends.

The sight that followed was one Rien would never forget. Every mage blasted their own magic into the sky which combined together in a beautiful array of colors and styles. There were no words to describe it, not that she would try. No words would ever truly convey this moment. This was her new beginning. From now on, she would give everything she had into becoming someone who was truly worthy of accepting the Fairy Tail mark. The next time she received it, it would be to solidify her place in their family.

The future looked bright.

* * *

"Sir, we've just gotten word. The Lobelia girl has left Fairy Tail. Should we reach out and request her assistance?"

"Not yet. With magic like hers, she would know that it was more than a mere coincidence. We have to wait."

"But sir-"

"It is better to work late than never at all. For now, we wait."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Booiiii I got this out so soon! I'm really glad because this story is going to be entering its second phase.**_

 _ **So yeah… Rien left Fairy Tail. I think her explanation was good enough that I don't need to elaborate. Don't worry though, she's far from done with Fairy Tail and she isn't leaving Magnolia. Besides, a certain Dragon-slayer still needs to warm her bed at night…**_

 _ **I have to take a little time now to regroup and figure out the next direction. I have two big plot points I want to include in addition to the smaller ones but I don't know which order to include them in. Or maybe I do, Idk.**_

 _ **As always, please leave a review. I'd love to hear what you all think about Rien leaving Fairy Tail. Is this what you were expecting to happen? Do you think it was the right choice?**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


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